Hope for Humanity

Reflections from Summer

My family and I spent the summer back in our home in the United States. We spent important time with our family, enjoying the moments and memories made, and remembering how grateful we are for a close and loving family. In our family, we recognize the value of each other….we may not always agree, we may get frustrated or angry with each other, we may say things the wrong way and hurt feelings or get our feelings hurt….but we love each other and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my family has my back. From my nephew, who is like a brother to me, who my kids call Uncle and who I love to sit on the back deck with a beer and a sunset with while we laugh and laugh, having the same sarcastic sense of humor, to my sister, who I have less in common with and rarely see outside of family holidays…..I still know that for both of them, when my back is up against the wall, they’ll come through.

My mother is aging, but has always been a steady and constant rock of support in my life. I am also lucky beyond words to have my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins just a few hours away from my home in Washington. They are supportive and kind, and knowing that we have a strong supportive network back in the States has allowed me to take risks and chances throughout my life. The moments spent with all of them this summer were priceless.

Returning to San Diego

We also spent a month down in San Diego - my hometown - with the people that I grew up with and whom I love fiercely. My kids took a summer marine biology course, which they took partly in San Diego and partly in Baja, Mexico. I was so lucky to get to spend a whole month with my people….you know, the people that you consider the family that you chose in life. Many of these people I have known most of my life, and I feel incredibly lucky to know that I will continue to know them for the rest of my life. All in all…..it was a lovely time.

Some Hard Truths About America

Having said all that, four months spent in the United States in the summer of 2025….it was not all fun and games. I went to my fair share of protests. I looked around at my fellow Americans, sometimes in shock and sometimes in distress, wondering if I should tell them that their life of excess that kept them never feeling full enough, always wanting more and always sure that their neighbor had more and more and more and they needed to strive to attain it….that life of coveting others, that FOMO….it was making them all miserable. I wanted to tell them that I live in a place where most people have much, much less, and they are still much, much happier on a daily basis. I wanted to tell them that American consumerism is leading them to some unhappy places. I listened to my fair share of conversations about Ozempic, anti-depressants, anxiety meds, and I watched parking lots and grocery stores full of unhealthy people and I kept feeling so terribly sorry for my fellow Americans….our country is leading you astray, I kept thinking.

But America has bigger troubles than this. And, don’t think for a moment that I don’t recognize that the troubles I just mentioned above are big. They are. And, they are pervasive in the United States of America. And, it really, really troubles me. The problem is - these days - there is so very much to be troubled about that it’s hard to focus on all of it. Because while many people in America are stuck medicating the heck out of themselves simply to be able to walk through their day and exist in the world that we have erected in the U.S., we have bigger problems on the horizon.

We have civil rights violations all over America. We have racism and sexism and bigotry, and narcissism. We have a population whose country has been failing them for decades in many realms, but in particular in education, which has left a population ill equipped to deal with the deep well of mis and dis information that is flooding their eyes, their brains, their dendrites, their senses constantly until it feels like we are drowning in a rushing river of chaotic craziness. One begins to doubt everything and everyone. This perfect storm of chaos has provided an opening for authoritarianism mixed with corruption mixed with hatred and greed, and ugliness to take over our country. And, as terrible as that is, what’s worse is that it is seeping out of the pores of the American fabric, oozing over the oceans to corrode everything it comes in contact with. Like a bubbling, grotesque, burning lava, this plague on America is trying to cover the whole earth. And, it feels like we are powerless to stop it. Like watching a terrible train wreck in a frightening nightmare that you can’t wake up from.

On one hand, I want to just hide away in my lovely space in East Africa and wait until this all stops. But I know that’s not really an option. I do appreciate the quiet moments and the simple joys that I can find in this perfect little piece of earth. But, I know that if we all don’t do something, and do something fast….that oozing lava won’t stop coming for me. It’s on its way, and no one has the luxury to assume that because they aren’t currently coming for you, that you’re safe. We all know the quote…I need not repeat it here. Eventually, it’s coming for all of us.

So…this is what’s been on my mind. You know…..just the light and fluffy stuff, no biggie.

Worries and Hopes (or maybe just worries)

At the same time that these horrific thoughts are permeating my mind, I am also thinking, as I know we all are, about the people I love the most, who are the dearest to me. I worry for my mother, who is getting older and has new and different needs. I worry that I’m not doing enough to help the woman who has always, ALWAYS been there for me (even when I really wished she would go away). I worry desperately for my kids….what world are they inheriting? Have I given them the tools they need to navigate a world that I can’t seem to figure out? What will their future look like? Will they be ok?

We spent time this summer touring various colleges as my kids begin to prepare themselves for the next chapter of their lives. I, too, am beginning to consider the next chapter of my life. I have always strived for purpose in my life. Money never motivated me much (to the great chagrin of my parents, my children, and my bank). Being purposeful and being a part of change….this is what I long to spend my time doing. And so….

A New Chapter

I am beginning to take baby steps towards the next chapter of my life. I will continue to take consulting contracts to keep my international law skills sharpened and be a part of what is left of the human rights apparatus of the 20th Century. I also want to turn more of my attention to working with young people. Middle, high school, and early college….this is where I feel I can be most effective. These are the ages when you can spark a young person to feel passionate about human rights, to consider their place in the world, and to make the decisions that will turn into lifelong patterns of service to others and respect for humanity and the earth. To that end, I will continue to teach in the evenings on the Outschool platform, but am also beginning to teach some classes on my own. You can sign up for these classes on this website (go to the ‘Classes’ tab in the top left corner and check out the offerings). I am only offering a few classes now, but I plan to grow. I want to include adults in my classes, sometimes just classes for adults, and sometimes classes for the whole family to engage in together. There were no options on the Outschool platform, but I believe human rights education is for everyone, and the more we learn together, the stronger we’ll all become.

I have also promised myself to blog regularly. Keep an eye on this space. I plan to post several times a week with ideas, news, thoughts, and analysis. I’d love to have a dialogue begin in this space, for like-minded people to really begin to discuss how to move forward in the world we are facing and how we can continue to try to fix what is so very, very broken.

I still believe we have a world worth saving.