I’m spread a little thin. Those of you who read this blog regularly or who encounter me in various contexts at Kendal will understand what I’m saying. I’m trying to do too much. Maybe you share that feeling when you think about your own situation.

The news of the last few weeks has raised my level of concern (already high) about the future of our democracy, and that has forced me to take stock and set priorities. In this blog post, I want to share my thinking.

I made a list of all the things that I see as essential to be addressed, locally, nationally, and internationally. I put them into 10 categories and then tried to prioritize them. The resulting list is below.

I find it impossible to ignore any of these areas entirely, even the relatively low-priority ones, and that means that some of them will still creep into the blog from time to time. Reminding people about them is the least I can do. But I won’t spend as much time on them.

On the other hand, some items near the top of the list seem in urgent need of my attention right now, and I plan to spend more time and effort (and more blog posts) on those.

Here are the 10 categories on my list of top priority areas to think and write about:

  1. Political reform: constraints on presidential authority, elimination of ICE abuses, implementing fair voting, getting money out of politics, avoiding foreign wars, getting a congress with a spine, encouraging civil discourse among those who disagree with each other
  2. Kendal: consider how to preserve Kendal’s values and culture; improve relationships among residents, staff, administration, and board; plan for and ensure Kendal’s future
  3. Environment & sustainability: reducing greenhouse gases, eliminating troublesome plastics, improving farming and water resources, enhancing local sustainability
  4. Immigration: help ensure fair rules, fairly enforced; pathways to citizenship; immigrant rights; non-discrimination
  5. The economy: what can be done to encourage job formation, tax reform, preservation of social security, minimization of tariffs, leveling of the playing field, preserving the safety net
  6. Healthcare: preservation of rural care, Medicare, Medicaid, prevention of gun violence, vaccination, pandemic preparedness, drug treatment
  7. Children: adequate childcare, preschool, education, and prevention of alienation
  8. Housing: what can be done to increase the availability and affordability of housing
  9. US role in the world: help ensure that our nation honors treaties, supports allies, and helps those in need
  10.  Artificial Intelligence: warn of and seek to prevent the threats of AI and its misuse

You can see why this long list feels overwhelming. I did not think retirement would be this taxing!

So I plan to put most of my effort into the top two or three areas. (And of course I may want to change the rankings as the world around me shifts.) I will start by picking things from #1 to work on. Specifically, that will mean giving more priority to protests, contacts with elected representatives, and work with Braver Angels. I’m sure that will lead to related activities. The blog will reflect that emphasis, and it may get published a bit less often.   

Recently, my wife Jan asked me how I maintained the energy to continue working on fixing what is wrong with the world around us. I said my attitude had shifted from optimism that things might improve to grim determination. I plan to put my head down and work, regardless of how futile it seems.

I know I have a lot of advantages other people don’t have. My finances are adequate and my healthcare is provided for, so I don’t have to worry about those. That’s huge. I can draw support from my wife and family, my friends, my Kendal community, and my Quaker faith. I have hobbies (singing, 3D printing) to keep me somewhat sane.

Readers of this blog will be seeing the results of my new emphasis. The shift will be gradual, because I have a lot of material already in the hopper, but the top items on the list above will be showing up more often.

How are you dealing with the world we find ourselves in? Let me (and other readers) know in the comments.