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- your guide to feel better about the state of the world
your guide to feel better about the state of the world
is there still merit in being a 'dreamer'? in connecting with strangers, when it can feel so unsafe? how can we use these to feel better about the state of the world?
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I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer.
on dreaming
Hi friends,
Happy Tuesday! This week I wanted to keep it light again and share some of the stories that really made me feel hopeful. We’re so isolated from strangers these days, and there was something beautiful about meeting people completely different from me who share a passion for the same kinds of changes and are working to make them happen.
It’s not what we see on social media or in the news, but its astonishing how many of us want the same things: clean air, clean water, safety, connection, affordable and nutritious food, a good future for the next generation…
Stepping away from the world of politics and into the world of people-driven activism reminds me that a lot of people are doing a lot of awesome things for the future right now.
The view outside my window as I woke up in my camper on Chad’s ranch
kansas, cows, and third-wheeling in a four-wheeler
An hour or so off the highway in Saline, Kansas, I pulled off a long, dirt road to meet Chad Tuttle. Chad and Cynthia ran a campsite, as well as a regenerative agriculture ranch; I stayed the night in one of their campsites by the slow-moving Saline River and met with them in the morning. We talked for a few hours while they gave me a tour of the ranch in their four-wheeler. I held on to the door handle as we bumped over potholes, breathing in air thick with kicked-up dirt and cigarette smoke, and listened to them, enraptured. Chad and Cynthia radiated warmth and care.
This way of farming, doing regenerative agriculture, you need more people. But that’s exactly what Kansas needs, what rural America needs – more people. So I think we can solve a lot more than just sustainability with this kind of farming. We could really help revive this part of the country. The neighbors all think we’re crazy, though. So then there’s the question of how we find more people who are interested in what we’re doing and maybe want to participate or even join long-term
The two inherited a ranch and converted it to regenerative agriculture, and they have big plans, dreaming of an intentional community and a broader impact on their region.
They were dreaming, and they were putting in the sweat and muscle aches to work towards those dreams.
Cattle roaming Chad’s ranch using a rotational grazing pattern and feeding off of wild grasses
Across the country, leaders of intentional communities, pursuers of alternative lifestyles, and everyday dreamers are doing the same. Envisioning a better future, and working to make it happen, from the ground up.
I realized, there’s more of me who are out there. It’s not just me, it’s systemic. So I dedicated myself right then to finding a solution to the problem of veteran suicide, veteran homelessness.
Like Ryan Timmermans, the founder of an earthship community dedicated towards improving fellow veterans’ wellbeing.
Seeing our connections to others and believing in our own autonomy is the key.
As always, I wanted to give you all some actionable takeaways that can help you access this feeling, these possibilities.
takeaways
try talking to your neighbors in person. close nextdoor and facebook, and find ways to chat — say, while walking a dog or waiting at the laundromat.
be mindful of positive connections with strangers
look around on the bus or train. how many people are you peacefully cohabitating with, without even realizing it?
how often do baristas, transit workers, and receptionists greet you warmly, every day?
If you have other ideas like this, I’d love to hear them! I hope this helps you feel a little better about our world today.
I’m aiming to start sending this newsletter out every Tuesday around 2pm Pacific or 5pm EST, so keep an eye out on Tuesday afternoons 🙂
Much love,
Jasper
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