Wendall Berry, American poet, essayist, conservationist, teacher and, at root, a farmer provided the following quote.  His words are humble and instructive as we navigate the age

“In general I have used my farm carefully.  It could be said I think, that I have improved it more than I have damaged it. The pond was a modest piece of work, and so the damage is not extensive . . .  and yet there is damage–to my place and to me.  I have carried out, before my own eyes and against my intention, a part of the modern tragedy . . .

Until that wound in the hillside, my place is healed, there will be something impaired in my mind.  My peace is damaged.  I will not be able to forget it.”

Wendell Berry;  What are People for?

Berry models in this excerpt of an essay how we all can live with some grace while resisting and rebuilding from the damage being done to our country.  Perhaps being worn down by full time, round the clock rage and anger in times of crisis is a form of self indulgence we can’t afford. In a democracy, blame and glory are shared among all citizens. Wendell Berry, the farmer, wounded his hillside by trying to build a pond in a hillside unsuited to the nature of that hillside.  The pond and its’ man-made reinforcements collapsed. Haven’t we all contributed something similar to our own country?  Yes our mind’s peace has been impaired and many of us will take the memories of this era to the end of our lives. Still, the work of resistance right now is essential for the survival of this nation. Rehabilitation can be a healthy energy that sets memory in its proper, healthy relationship to human imperfection. This administration knows how to wear people down with chaos, popcorn threats, and faithless promises.  We must not be worn down.  Humility and persistence must be part of own package of survival skills.

Modest Proposal for Good

Your life and your work, as is mine, are not perfect and, if like mine, far from it.  Our beginnings and endings are decorated by dark tones and in some way that is the beauty of it  The current opposition to democracy can try to confuse and wear us down, but unatoned shame and guilt needs to be their heavy load and not ours  If our country is like Berry’s farm, we still have, in all our imperfection, so much work to do cultivating the next generations inevitably, flawed but beautiful peace. Tyrannical people and nations have a short half-life in the long arc of justice. We will persist and that would be good.