Prune to Grow

 I. Outoing
 
I gave my newly divided Boston ferns a haircut to match my own.

I intuited it would be good--there were so many dead branches among the living fronds. (You can see dead ones sticking up.)

Looked it up, and yes, chopping Boston ferns back is advised.

Also, it offers a Metaphor of the Day:

“Severe pruning will allow the plant to rejuvenate."

We shall see. 

I hope it works for me, myself! I didn’t just prune my hair, I chopped off (most) social media in winter and spent most of the summer more or less in quiet.
_________________

II. 
Incoming

Meanwhile--so weird--I've been wanting more energy in my life, feeling the dwindlement of it––or desire for it anew—and some appeared.

(It's like the Rule of Thrift: 
If you want something... and wait... it will appear.)

I do do stuff--read, write, make art, etc.--
but it's almost all private (blogging here is next-to private), 
or anonymous (the God's eyes on the fence)---
and I LIKE it like that because it's so hard to work with people---or, at any rate, I'm not great at it and the people around me aren't either...
The store is a total non-starter in that realm (collaboration).

But... last night I went to a Meet-n-Greet mayoral-candidate [this guy, if you're interested]....
 and I LOVED him!

He poured forth so much energy, with zest and verve, he reminded me of Cory Booker, who did that 24-hour talk on the Congress floor!

But he's unplugged. 
He has a very feeble online presence, and no TikTok at all.

I see this in older people (he's 55)--just NOT GETTING it about social media. 
Still! How can this be?

Someone asked him why he's not getting more media coverage, and he talked about contacting journalists for the local paper, and pushing that... 

And I'm like---Who reads the local paper?
To begin with, you have to have a paid subscription!
I only read free stuff (though I do donate to the Guardian--and NPR--and of course there's my $377 subscription to the Economist... LOL).

I was so agitated about this that it kept me awake, and this morning
 I wrote this to his campaign:

Hello, Dr. D and Team!

I was so jazzed to meet B. B. KING's cousin, once removed, [true! but he only mentioned it to me personally, in passing]! at the house party of LN and MH last night.

( I asked D. what his favorite scripture was (Luke 4:18!) and gave him a yarn God's eye with a piece of shattered glass from the George Floyd uprisings.)

“To Know You Is to Love You,” King sings. . . but people don't know Dr. D. 

Because... where are you on social media?
Your Instagram is photos of your *lawn signs*.
One of the first faces I see there is your opponent.
What is this?
Get up on it!

Someone asked why our candidate doesn't get much coverage, and he talked about the Star Tribune.

The Star Tribune?
I know maybe three people who subscribe, and they're all retired (my age group).  
We're a power, yeah, but you gotta reach the young!

A friend at the U took a journalism class--the teacher asked on the first day: 
"Where do you get your news?"

The students said,
"TikTok".

Fire up your TikTok, Dr. D.!

You've got a little more than three weeks, which is ideal, because most people pay no attention till around now.
Build a fire, and stoke it.
From now until Nov. 4., post ... I don't know, three? short clips a day on TikTok, IG, FB, and youTube 

I'm not advocating dumbing it down; 
I'm taking about punching it up:
 the parables of Jesus would fit on a YouTube short.

Post a mix of political talking points (bring the King family to George Floyd Sq!)--and personal stuff!
For God's sake, claim BB King:
People with roots in the Deep South will relate--old white liberals (like me) will think it's super cool!
Talk about your dog! (People love pets.) 
Does your husband have a recipe, like Gwen Walz's ginger snaps?
What songs move you, inspire you?
And what's your campaign song?
Play it!
(That stuff sticks: 
I still remember the Clinton campaign's "Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow".)

What gives you strength in the dark night of the soul?
We in this city, this world, need strength and encouragement.
Like you said--we as a city have not healed from the murder of George Floyd, and a lot of people are slipping into nihilism.
You've got energy, you've got cheer.
Share it!

Longer posts? Put it on Substack for the folks who read long stuff. (I don't even see an account for you there.)

I loved the depth and breadth of your answers last night, Dr. D.--but show the people your heart online. 
That's my advice.

Best of luck to you, Dr. D. & Team!

P.S. You mentioned Cornell West. I'd just read a terrific conversation between him and Toni Morrison, and I love what he says about the dark night and the Blues:

Cornel West:
 I’ve always viewed myself as a person with a deeply sad soul but a cheerful disposition. 
So that when you say you feel terrified and melancholic, that describes my situation too, but it’s just that I always believe that struggle and the unleashing of moral energy in the form of moral outrage can make a difference no matter what the situation is. 

"And it may have something to do with just having a blues sensibility, a tragic orientation, a sense that no matter how mendacious elites may be, they can never extinguish the forces for good in the world. 
And if that’s true, then they’re mighty but not almighty."

----END email to Dr. D. 

I've seen this before--this  absolute disconnect. It doesn't work.

Look what does work:
a MIX of personal appearance with social media.
Look at Charlie Kirk's success that way.
Of course Kirk was young himself.
So get plugged in with young people. Worked for DT.

I am not one of them.
But I see them!
My immersion in media fandom years ago showed me what a vital, vibrant world is online.

Scary and bad too---so what's new?
Fifty-sixty years ago we had political assassinations, murderous underground groups, terrorism, hostages... 

Gotta be brave!
Pull up your plucks, and prune what's not growing.

Grow, fig tree, grow!

_____________
Long interesting discussion about spirituality, religion, and engagement, podcast and Substack transcription here:
unitedlcsj.substack.com/p/the-soul-of-social-justice-a-conversation

"The Soul of Social Justice: A Conversation"