Dear Friends,
Despite tense relations in the US-Russia arena, I’ve been quieter than usual in September and want to give you an update.
As you know, for months I’ve routinely sent emails at ungodly hours. This due to a number of reasons: being glued to my computer, reading increasing numbers of news services and international media, interacting at length with more of you and getting less sleep while CCI’s communicants grew in number month after month. I’ve also been obsessing over 2017 program designs which with luck may work with hundreds of organizations and VIPs.
My psyche began registering that it needed time out from the intensity. Having run myself up against a wall in past situations, it seemed wise to carve out some down time rather than go that route again! And the timing was right. During election years, Americans concentrate on little else other than candidates; in addition, end-of-year is always down time due to holidays. So passing my 80th birthday this month, I decided it’s a good time to take a first-ever “sabbatical”––and to do it while I still feel good mentally and physically.
September 10th I reduced reading hours by about 75%, shortened email interactions as you may have noted, cancelled speaking at a Washington DC conference––and cancelled other out-of-state activities in October and November. It gave me enormous inner satisfaction to simply declare a “time out” and find myself in a delightful, non-pressured interior space (I could get addicted to this!). My plan is to continue through the election (of which I’m opting out or at least not watching the TV hype) and am enjoying silence and peace instead.
I do check Robert Parry’s Consortium News since he’s recognized as America’s best investigative journalist. I trust what he writes without question. Over the next couple of months, I’ll continue to post and forward some articles to you, but not as many as previously.
These are indeed challenging times––this coming year could be the great turning point; if the “powers that be” don’t stop their aggressive maneuvering it could bring the possibility of a devastating WWIII. Or who knows, it could be the beginning of a new consciousness wherein citizens in sufficient numbers rise up and demand that militarism be forsaken––thus taking away the legitimacy of the current direction. Let’s be part of creating the latter in 2017! More to follow on “how.”
A happy and lovely autumn to you,
Sharon