Reflections on Juneteenth

It’s been awhile since I last shared some reflections. I’m not even sure I’m ready now to offer any so apologies in advance for what may emerge somewhat (or completely) discombobulated. I probably shouldn’t be writing at all this month but hope these thoughts may add to the voices advocating for necessary changes across the country. so, here goes:

1. As I posted a few weeks ago, I have been spending most of my time listening, reading, and thinking. I’ve found a few ways to be engaged in support for my Black friends and colleagues and continue to search for more and better outlets. I’ve been outspoken with an organization I’m involved with that has a long legacy of racism and exclusionary practices and hope to make a difference there. I may take a more active role in promoting change, but that will depend on receptivity to a set of requirements I identified that will not be easy for the organization’s leadership to accept. But, if I’ve learned anything this month, change without discomfort is just cosmetic. #BLM
2. Who could have imagined just a few months ago how disruptive Covid-19 would be? In early March we were in Florida getting ready to attend a dear cousin’s Bat Mitzvah. Instead, we scurried back to NC and have hunkered down ever since. But, as with so many circumstances, privilege is not doled out with equity. For Judy and me, managing the virus has been far easier than for so many others. We’ve been able to play golf, obtain all the food we need and enjoy each other’s company in the comfort of our home. We have the resources to weather this storm and all we miss is our travels to grandkids (and travels around the world). As a small gesture, I asked all my golf friends to make a contribution to the East Durham Children’s Initiative (https://edci.org/en) every time we played and I’m pleased to report that we’ve contributed $1500 so far. Its not a bad practice for those of us in relative comfort to offset our privileges with donations...give it a try!
3. I think of my former colleagues at Duke and on campuses around the world every waking moment. I know how hard they’re working and how complicated response to this virus is. I hope that the fall plans as they’ve been unfolding can happen. I have my doubts (as I’ve previously written) but will be delighted to be proven wrong.
4. My modest consulting gigs continue and I’m proud to be involved both with telehealth (TimelyMD) and student skills development (FreshmanPlaybook.com). The latter program will be launched in the next two months....stay tuned! 
5. My Penn doctoral students continue to impress me and I’m so pleased with their progress towards their Ed.D. Several have now passed their proposal hearings and are well on course for their research and dissertation writing. The rest are not very far behind. Working with these awesome students (who carry full loads of work, family and personal impact from current social challenges) gives me great comfort and confidence in the future of education. 
6. [I finished my book...and have a publisher! More to come...]
7. On a more mundane level, we’re renovating our master bathroom. Oy...
8. Most afternoons, Judy and I read, listen to music, surf social media and occasionally nap on our back porch. But for one neighbor’s persistently barking dog, another neighbor’s loud landscaping project and a third neighbor’s addiction to using his riding mower, we get to enjoy numerous birds at our bird feeders (including a hawk that has decided to come through on occasion seeking a meal), the multiple births in our bluebird house and the explosion of bamboo, which I cut back seemingly every week. No...I’m still (and always) an atheist but I can very much appreciate what evolution and nature have provided for our pleasure. 

That’s enough for now. Tonight we’re walking with friends and then enjoying a socially distant dinner on our porch (taco bar). Tomorrow, all the neighbors in our cul-de-sac will be gathering in the circle of our street with our dinners and chairs kept at appropriate distances. We never did this prior to Covid-19 (and we’ve lived here for 19 years), so even crisis can encourage community. Cheers!