No. 20 - FORGING ON

FORGING ON

September 17, 2025 • Issue No. 20

There are days when I wake up, read the headlines, and immediately want to go back to sleep. Every time I open a news app, I’m bombarded with details of the most despicable things. People are needlessly dying in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan and people in our own country are being kidnapped. It’s a lot to take in — especially when you feel powerless to help make any change — so I’ve been trying to shift towards reading printed news instead of trying to keep up with the fire hose of information on my phone.

Just yesterday, I was eating toast with raspberry jam and reading The New Yorker when I came across a cartoon by Bruce Eric Kaplan. It’s a spot-on illustration of the conflict I feel between staying informed and disassociating through distractions.

This moment feels like peak silliness: there is a disconnect between all that’s happening in the world and the expectation that life and work continue as normal. The house is on fire, but we’re supposed to keep bringing home the bacon.

It’s enough to make you feel like giving up. But each morning I take a deep breath and get out of bed to start my day. I remember that my work has purpose and my contribution matters. Depending on your career path, your work might be more important now than it has been before.

• If I’m prepping for class with my graduate students, I remind myself that I’m helping to prepare the next generation of teachers, who will educate the next generation of students, who will be tasked with rebuilding society in a way that works for everyone, not just for some.

• If I’m pulling out my notes to meet with a client, I remind myself that I’m a sounding board for people who hold themselves to high standards and are trying their best to deliver. The women of color I work with sought out coaching because they wanted to deepen their impact and develop their careers. Helping my clients make it into “the room where it happens” means new voices in the conversation, ones that understand the value of diversity, difference, and unique perspectives.

• If I’m joining a Zoom meeting for a board- or community meeting, I remind myself that many of the freedoms and privileges I enjoy — clean water, public libraries, a local farmers’ market — are the result of regular people organizing themselves around a cause and making their voices heard. I’m doing what I can to make things better for the people who will come after me the way that so many unnamed people did before I got here.

Here’s what I can offer for the mornings when you’re feeling flattened by it all. If the work that you do helps someone, ground in that. If you feel you can do more, find a local organization that’s seeking support. There are independent news publications, community gardens, youth programs, outsider political candidates, and advocacy groups that could use your donations of time and/or money. We’re living in “unprecedented times”, but the only way out is through. Exercise compassion for yourself and others, try the fun new seasonal pasta recipe, and stay grounded in your contribution — we need you.

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