Week 15--in which we must, we simply must, take some Joy Drops

Beautiful Ones,

At a moment like this, as the building blocks of what was once considered a bastion of democracy and stability are smashed to bits, we find ourselves straddling the chaos by swinging from anger to despair and back again.

Where do we turn?
Who can we listen to?
Where is there some comfort, some hope?
How about some joy?

For months, prior to and after the election, I wrote about the horrors white christian nationalism spawns.

If you’re new to this newsletter, you might wonder why I’ve been so focused on the rise of fascism here and around the world.

Perhaps this quick life review will help you understand:

• I was raised by white christian flag-waving parents who believed the founding fathers were saints and America was the greatest nation on earth, although—small problem—the government was infiltrated by communists that only they were smart enough to ferret out.

  If you know American history, you’ll realize they were John Birchers.

• I ran screaming out of the house with my hair on fire as soon as I could.

  In other words, I went to college.

• When a Young Americans for Freedom boy came up to me in the library my freshman year, and started singing the praises of my father, I grabbed the poor kid by the collar, pulled him into my face, and hissed, “You do not know me, you will never speak to me again, is that perfectly clear.”

  I stopped receiving invitations to the Young Republicans and YAF. Political freedom!

• My sophomore year, amid the insanity of the Vietnam War, I walked away from the catholic church.

  Religious freedom!

• I raised my son to love literature, ask questions, ponder difficult subjects, and think for himself. I even got him a bumper sticker that said, “Do Not Obey.”

  In other words, I encouraged him to become a wise antidote to fascism. 

• A violent divorce and intense therapy taught me how narcissists destroy people: they create chaos, accuse their victims of exactly what they’re doing (lying, cheating, stealing), ensure there’s no stability or consistency, and convince you it's your fault.

  Sound familiar?

• When my son went to college, he protested the Iraq War, participated in Occupy, got followed by the FBI, and received a subpoena to name activists in front of a secret federal grand jury.

  He stayed silent and spent his 24th year in prison, protecting our right to dissent.

And the icing on my anti-fascist cake:

• For the last five years I’ve studied how patriarchal religion upended thousands of years of Goddess-centric history, replacing it with a theocratic culture that controls and abuses women and children, plunders everything and everyone for profit, and demonizes women it labels witches.

  Oh that sounds all too familiar, doesn't it?

Does my life sound awful to you? It doesn't to me.

I see my life experiences as a powerful and profound education to discover who I really am, how I choose to live, what I value, and explore how I can use my voice to contribute to a more beautiful and loving world.

And right now, everyone who is even slightly awake and conscious is scared.

So, how do we live? How do we take care of ourselves and our loved ones? How do we find our way?

Last Sunday I wrote about hope. Thank you for all your sweet emails. We all need a dose of hope right now.

I also hinted at the prayer practice Cathy Stevens Pratt and I are creating to sustain hope and imbue the world with kindness.

The prayer, which will be called Her Council of Love, includes mystic art, an introduction to Lady Freedom, the healing power of a community in prayer, the freedom that comes in naming and banishing pain and suffering, and even the joyous call of Crystal Tones Alchemy bowls. All wrapped into a short simple daily prayer practice. Watch for news on Her Council of Love next Sunday.

In the meantime, I thought that the sweetest thing I could give you today would be what I call “joy drops.” Everyone has their own joy drops—things to watch or listen to or read or do that shift focus for a moment from panic to laughter.

Because we need laughter.
We need joy.
We need Joy Drops.

Here are a few of my faves:

For brilliant conversation:
Stanley Tucci Cards on the Table

For more brilliant conversation:
Trevor Noah What Now

For hysterical insights into our world:
Josh Johnson Comedy (for heaven’s sake watch his review of Kendrick Lamar’s half time show) Josh toured with Trevor Noah. He’s that good.

For sheer nuttiness:
Cats on a Couch (Hey, it was created just to have more followers than JD Vance. That’s good enough for me. And that song!)

For real medical advice by a real Emergency Medicine pediatrician who is also adorable and funny and filmed herself going to work on a paddleboard when Helene flooded her home:
DrBeachGem10

For real medicine insights by a neuro surgeon who also does silly dances:
Lady Spine Doc

For real scientific information by a scientist who loves poking a pin in RFK Jr’s stupidity:
DrNoc

For math, honestly, you’ll fall in love with this British Mathematician:
Hannah Fry

For the joy of dance, West Coast Swing to be precise. This is addictive:
Keerigan Rudd

There’s lots more where those came from. I hope some of my Joy Drops give you a little drop of Joy.

to the necessity of joy,

Janet

website: janetconner.com

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