Whenever I go to a doctor, we review my allergies. I always add one they never write down: bad attitudes. This year, I have been wrestling with my own.
I want to be aware of what is going on in the world, and so often the news is nauseating. It feels as if democracy is in the ICU. Indeed, it does require intensive care. I voted early in the midterm elections. Checking my email has been somewhat like taking a poll while Google constantly changed its algorithms.
Systems are as good as their designers. Einstein knew this when he explained that, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” Democracy has been in the news a lot lately—by name, not just by implication. The word comes from the Greek words demos, the people, and kratos, the power to rule. The idea of representative democracy goes back to the ancient Greeks. History has shown that democracy is a way of being together that constantly requires renewal. It’s a process, not a one-time outcome.
I wonder if democracy is a form of conscious practice, a kind of cultural mindfulness? They both require hard work—and lots of listening to others, to ourselves, and for some people, to a higher power. Here in Vermont, voters overwhelmingly approved the Reproductive Liberty Amendment to the Vermont Constitution. At least in terms of reproductive liberty, we codified choice. We honored Vermont’s motto: Freedom and Unity.
I recently attended the virtual Annual Meeting of UP for Learning, which is headquartered here in Vermont. UP embodies their work for student voice with adult support to foster positive, sustainable, systemic change. Lindsey Halman, UP’s Executive Director, opened the meeting with a quote from Michelle Obama. After that, young people did most of the talking. Some of the youth described systemic change as the transformative practice of moving from a club to a culture mindset.
Democracy is invitational in diverse, equitable, and inclusive ways. Our recent midterm election was a victory for democracy. The results, though still not totally tabulated, indicate that people, not pundits, vote their values. The close elections demonstrate how vital and fragile our democracy is—how much we need to talk and listen with each other. A true democracy is a practice in loving curiosity.
We cannot always control our circumstances, but we can choose how we react to them. I am choosing an attitude of gratitude this Thanksgiving.