If you or a loved one is struggling with life challenges-a career change, divorce, grief, addictions or compulsions-give us a call and let the Sedona Intensive give you the help you need. Don't face these problems alone. Let our support team of professional therapists help you today.

(800) 647-0732 or www.sedonaintensive.com.

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Light Foundation Scholarship Fund Needs Your Help
There are a lot of people who need help; oftentimes it is getting sober or straight and in other instances it is coming to terms with lifelong issues that keep them from being authentic. The Light Foundation, a not-for-profit IRS-approved organization, would like for you to be a part of this effort to help others clear away the wreckage of their past through help in the Sedona Intensive. All donations are tax-deductible. 

Please send donations to:  Light Foundation Scholarship Fund, PO Box 50, Sedona, AZ 86339

AN INTERVIEW WITH MAE ROBERTSON

My heart-mate and close friend, Cathy Ovson Friedman, one of the most proactive women I have ever known, (she is on every committee in Birmingham, Alabama that does good for those who need it), sent me a CD of singer, songwriter Mae Robertson whom she has known for a long, long time in the heart of Dixie. I listened to most of the numbers on the CD and was so swept away by not only the words she sang but also by how different and unique her voice is that I decided to introduce each of you to her today. 

Mae Robertson is a woman with an amazing voice that you will hear a lot more about. I decided to interview her because she speaks my language in music, and she has a lot to sing about to all of us. I highly recommend that you go on her website and order her music. www.maerobertson.com

I know what music I like when I hear it but music appreciation is so personal and ‘beyond words’ for me that I decided to weigh in with a commentary on her website about one of her CDs, Meet the Sun Halfway because the reviewer, Frank Gutch, Jr. from FAME Music was so understated about her (his) praise for Mae Robertson’s music:

Although Mae Robertson's voice is not everything on Meet the Sun Halfway, it is the main thing, and the strange thing is that it is not what she does with it but what she does not which sets her apart. She does not, for instance, step beyond her comfort zone nor does she participate in vocal octave Olympics. She bypasses the trills and vibratos and tricks of the vocal trade for the honest and true, the voice as pure instrument, and the end result is, to be honest, brilliant. In letting her voice speak for her, she allows the music to take center stage and without the ego and the drama prevalent in so many singers of today, she carries you away without a struggle.

In the end, it comes down to this. When Mae Robertson sings, it is meditation for the soul. Her voice almost breathes you to a different world in which beauty and light and good make everything right. I think we could all use a little more of that and Meet the Sun Halfway delivers. And then some.

I talked with Mae by telephone and communicated by email and here are the things I asked her, her answers, and which I share with you the reader.

Q.  When did you start to write and/or sing?

I've been singing all my life, but was always terrified to sing in front of people. In 1988, an old friend heard me singing folk songs to my daughter as lullabies and eventually convinced me to record with him. Our first album was a collection of lullabies that won a number of awards including a Notable Recording for Children from the American Library Association. Shortly after the release of the CD, presenters started asking me to perform, so I decided it was time to overcome my fears. I read all I could find about stage fright and talked to everyone I thought could help and eventually came up with a way to get myself out on stage and through a performance. 

I was writing during this time as well, but I kept my songs to myself. As I overcame my stage fright, I knew it was time to get braver about singing my own songs. Learning to share my voice and my words was a big journey for me and it continues to be terrifically rewarding. I am constantly amazed at how much I enjoy something that I used to be so very afraid of.

Q.  Your music is so personal and touching, who or what inspires you the most? 

I am most inspired by lyrics. I love a great melody, but for me, every word and every idea in the song has to ring true. The lyrics are what I hear first and it has always been that way. I look for songs that are strong enough to allow me to get out of the way and just be the messenger. When a song can stand on its own, it is magic for me, and singing is the greatest joy.

There is a fundamental intimacy in song, and for me, the idea of sharing complex emotions and feelings with an audience is compelling.  When we touch on these emotions together, it is profound because it reminds us of the humanity that we all share.
 
Since I choose songs and write songs that express my truth, I get to share my truth and my world with the audience. I heal myself by choosing which songs I sing. I hope that some of that healing washes over the audience as well.

Q.  Were you influenced by any particular singer or songwriter? 

I grew up listening to my older brother's folk music collection and fell in love with the words and the harmony. Later, I was most inspired by personal songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor. I am most attracted and influenced by songs that express emotion poetically rather than through a story. I love to listen to great singers such as kd Lang, Bonnie Raitt, and Trisha Yearwood, but I am mostly influenced by master song crafters like Leonard Cohen, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Paul Simon, and Tom Kimmel. 

Q.  Your daughter and you could be a singing duo, like the Judds. Is that in the cards for you two?

Cally is a wonderful singer and I was thrilled that she agreed to do "In White Light" with me. I love performing with her and I hope that we will be able to do it from time to time. But, she has just graduated from college and is now an actor living in NYC.  Although she pursues some music-making with friends, for now, acting seems to be her main focus.

Q.  My intuitive hit is that you could do motivational work, with your compelling voice giving you an edge in the market. Have you considered counseling, public speaking and singing in the Inspirational/Motivational field? 

This is a great question. Even though I haven't thought specifically of doing inspirational/motivational work, it would be a logical extension of the workshops I have been doing. For about 14 years now, I have been teaching classes in independent marketing at music camps across the country. About 6 years ago, I started teaching a class on managing stage fright and it was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life - SO much more fun than teaching independent marketing! Overcoming stage fright was such a breakthrough for me and sharing my journey with others is truly fulfilling. Doing more of this type of work - helping people overcome fear - would be of great interest to me.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, as one of the greatest proponents of the interrelated and interconnected universe, you have just heard about and from one of the important voices that is heard in powerful song. Bring her home with you. Order her CD today. www.maerobertson.com

LOSING WEIGHT, GAINING YOU, The Sedona Intensive at Pritikin™

If you have been struggling with overeating and no exercise, join me and a like-minded group of men and women with your same problem at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida November 1 – 14. Scott Carney and I are going to facilitate a life-changing two-week intensive workshop, It’s Not What You’re Eating it’s What’s Eating at You—the emotional component for obesity resulting in poor health and life-threatening silent killers.

New scientific studies reveal that food is an addiction. Pritikin has perfected menus with delicious food that guarantee success if they are followed, along with exercise, but there are other driving forces that lead to over-eating, most of which are buried like sunken treasure from childhood forward. Resentments, anger, rage, sensitivities, fear, distrust and a thousand forms of character defects drive over-eating like they did drinking alcoholically for me and millions of other people. Remove the causations and you will have greater success maintaining weight loss through the Pritikin model.

I facilitated this same program at Pritikin in May this year and I can say from personal experience and from the endorsement comments from class members that the executive office received, losing weight while changing how you eat and adding daily exercise was a lot of fun. We class members ate our meals together at a separate table—it was a great opportunity to get to know the other members of the group and believe me there is a lot of laughter and good old-fashioned fun with the fellow lose-to-gain classmates. We met together for classes for an hour and a half each day, and each member of the program had one-hour private sessions with me.

As founding director of the Sedona Intensive, which is a 26-year old one-on-one personal empowerment program in Sedona, Arizona, Pritikin and I have joined forces to give guests a firmer foundation to embrace better food choices while removing those negative emotions and feelings that have undermined a new resolve around food. Will power and good intentions never work. In recovery circles we are wont to say that ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions.’ Instead of will power, we believe that it takes a psychic experience to insure proper eating with daily exercise. We have that endgame for you now here at Pritikin with a new revolutionary program called The Sedona Intensive at Pritikin™. Sign up if this approach resonates with you to get added assistance in taking the total package home with you: how to eat and how to exercise to stay healthy. www.pritikin.com

Make Up Your Own Mind

Everybody has something to say. Everyone has an opinion. This seems to be far more evident nowadays as a result of the impending Presidential Election and the ‘who to trust’ chaotic state of our union. We are inundated not only by media coverage of every single thing each of the candidates for both President and Vice President says or does, but also by the opinions of our friends and family. The relevance of this election is making us reevaluate that old adage ‘never to talk about politics’. Let’s agree to disagree—even when it comes to politics—but let’s keep the dialogue active and engaging. There is more at stake November 4th than in any election in modern times.

After having had a few political conversations of my own with friends and acquaintances, it is scary to think about all the people who will exercise their right to vote, or shall I say privilege, without being better informed. Many people will vote the same way Mom and Dad do, or “with the party I always vote for” simply because they do not want to take the time to find out what each candidate stands for. Many of us fear what others will think of us if we vote for someone they’re not voting for. Now is the time for each of us to be authentically committed to vote for what candidates we believe to be the best for the job.

I have taken it upon myself to get involved in the process far more than ever before. Instead of burying my head in the sand or worse yet, letting someone else make up my mind for me, I decided to be a part of the American process and responsibility of electing the most suitable candidates. I urge you to study the facts, listen to the speeches, not the sound bites, and stay open to the opinions of others, but be willing to engage in friendly disagreements, and in the end, listen to your gut. Find your own voice of authenticity and let it be heard. Vote your intelligent, carefully researched conscience.

Andrew Bell

I believe that in the past I have had the tendency at times to not apply myself fully to tasks that were in front of me. At times I felt, that it was easier to coast or find other venues that distracted me from a crisis at hand, than it was to buckle down and immerse myself in the more consequential undertaking. This semester, however, I have decided to remain extremely busy, and to take as many classes and participate in as many activities as possible. Though at first daunting, I have come to discover, that an overload of activities, not only increases my mental and physical capabilities, it also keeps me much more focused and motivated on the tasks at hand. Idle time and coasting becomes unacceptable when activities and challenges are increased.

I believe that the revival of diligence and increased ingenuity that has awakened in me is a similar revival to one in which the United States must assume in order to reclaim and restore its leading standing in the world. I believe deeply that the United States worker, has proven, that he/she has the potential to work more efficiently, think more creatively, and to remain more progressive, than any other rival nation’s work force. Our strong ability to overcome enormous challenges we have faced, demonstrated brilliantly by our triumph over the Great Depression, two World War’s and a divisive Civil War, reaffirms my core belief. However, like myself, the United States Worker I believe has become less focused, and concentrated than its predecessors. With a broken government, and an already fortified hegemonic position, less incentive is provided now than ever before, to jumpstart a rebirth of American core values of hard work and ingenuity. However, I believe that the dangerous potential effects of global warming, and the astonishing potential for vast technological advancements and sheer economic growth, that it affords us, is the exact launching pad that the American Worker has been looking for. According to Thomas Friedman, Green Technology, grants the United States an even greater economic opportunity than even the IT movement.

With great opportunities now presented to each and every American, I believe that many American workers will experience a similar revival, though in a much more important and consequential way, than I have recently experienced. This tireless diligence will reaffirm our international position, and help the United States overcome such negative setbacks as the Lehman Brothers recent decision to file for bankruptcy. As much as the media has focused intently on the political realm, I believe that no matter who is elected, ultimately, it is the American workers who will decide our fate, and not the handouts or government funding or planning of either party. Given our history, and are proclivity to overcome strife and remain ahead of the curve, I’m confident that our country can focus, and surmount the vast problems the future may present.

There is a New Moon at 06 degrees of Libra on September 29th—which means that a lot of relationships that have been waning in the lives of Libras, Aries, Cancer and Capricorn will end and perhaps as a result of having met someone new. This applies to your business life as well as personal. There will be a Full Moon at 21 degrees of Aries on October 14th which will signal outcome in projects that you have been working on; the caution is always “watch what you pray for…”

Mercury will go retrograde at 22 degrees of Libra on September 24th—and you all know that retrogrades are about delays in affairs of the heart and at work. Do not start new projects at this time, otherwise there will be so many miscues and mistakes in your ideas and implementation that you will have wished you’d paid attention to this celestial phenomenon. This is a good time to review what you have on the front burner and to make changes and refine your ideas.

Jupiter will go direct at 12 degrees of Capricorn—Jupiter always brings better results in direct motion. This direct motion of Jupiter will be most beneficial to Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo. But with Saturn moving from the 11th through the 15th degree of Virgo this month, Virgos, Pisces, Geminis and Sagittarians are on notice that there will be a lot of trudging and a lot of refinement in what you do and how you do it. The key to dealing with Saturn is discipline as Saturn requires caution, restraint, seriousness and stability.

Pluto will go direct at 28 degrees of Sagittarius on September 9th, moving back into Capricorn until 2023. Pluto is always about death and rebirth, elimination and regeneration. Capricorn will rebuild and rethink and remake their place in the Sun and what to do and how to do it. The United States of America will have Pluto opposing our three planets in Cancer during this long reign. As I have said until I am red, white and blue in the face is that we must rebuild and reconstruct our great nation, “brick by brick and stone by stone”.

Libra (September 23 - October 22)

Your task this month is to be more discerning about where and how you spend your assets. We are still living in dark shadows with which financial institution has a rock solid plan to increase your net worth and which ones are about to crumble and fall. Until after the election you might want to weed your garden—plucking the part of your economic plan that is stifling growth of what’s as good as gold. And along the way, look more carefully at the players in your life. You’re still not done with deception lurking just behind the curtain.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)

When push comes to shove, you know how to find hidden reserves of energy to keep your place in line. Keep tending to your business and following the game plan that you have been crafting for the last year or so. No one is going to give you anything—you are too ethical and play the game with an even hand to stoop to dirty politics. Stick to what you know and success is just around the corner. If you ever learn to turn envy into ingenuity and jealousy into joy for the other fellow’s success, you will be the one getting the loudest applause from your fawning friends and co-workers. Nobody has more of the right stuff than you Scorpios, minus the stinger!

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 20)

You are one of the few signs of the Zodiac that when given lemons will find a good recipe for a new health drink with zing—or when you lose a bundle in the market you shrug and say, ‘Next time I’ll do better’. For this Fall Season it is time to take a good, honest inventory and see what to keep and what has to go out of your life. Never one to be too attached to anything or anyone, be true to you and if it turns out to be a relationship that has come to the end of the line, change the things you can and say good-bye without hurt feelings.

Capricorn (December 21 - January 19)

You must be feeling like the mad scientist in his or her laboratory, nose-to-the-grindstone on your life’s masterpiece. Keep to your own time frame—there are no calendars or clocks for genius. With Jupiter in Capricorn for a few more months, everything you touch turns to something that can make you and a lot of other people healthier, wealthier and a lot smarter. This is one time in your life that you know better than the second guessers. If someone makes a suggestion, listen and then do what you know to do. With all the chaos in the world at this time, we are all ready, willing and able to let you Goats restore the infrastructure brick by brick and stone by stone.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 17)

If you can hear a clear message through the static interference of Neptune in your Sun Sign, go ahead and act on your transmissions. But we continue to caution you Water Bearers about confusion and chaos because that is exactly what Neptune does—‘mist’ifies your ability to think clearly. My suggestion is to take stock of where you’ve been—inventory your past—to know where you are going. Since you walk to a tune no one else can hear, be warned that if you don’t make corrections in what went wrong behind you, you are doomed to repeat it up ahead. (Meditate and journal your way out of a dangerous place: the confusion between your ears).

Pisces (February 18 - March 20)

If you have stirred awake daily to dread and fear you can thank your lucky stars that Saturn in Virgo is opposing you—and for another year! Do you think that you Dream Weavers would learn to live in reality without checkmates to your runaway spending or wishing on a star that you would be at the ocean when your ship comes in? Here’s your lesson for the month: there are two of you living inside you—one is the ‘turn it over to God after taking action’ and the other is ‘give me what my dark side says I need to support my bad-boy, bad-girl Fishy habits’. You really will thank your lucky stars when you understand that you’re not who you think you are!

Aries (March 21 - April 20)

Go on the Internet and read where greed has gotten you. Watch the evening news to see what maelstrom another lending institution has wrought. Because you have always lived like the world revolves around you and your plots and plans, see how long it takes you to sell another big idea. No one covers disappointment quite like you do. If you would step out of line and take a deep, illumined look at your inner tapestry to see what drives and motivates you, you might see where the trouble is. Learn to embrace the notion that ‘its all about all of us, and not just all about you’!

Taurus (April 21 - May 20)

If your prospects get any better I am going to beg for an extreme celestial makeover and land in the land of milk and honey of you snorting and success-headed Bulls. With Saturn in Virgo (earth like you Taurus) and Jupiter in Capricorn for a few more months, you should be hearing ‘yes’, ‘yes’, ‘yes’ every time you ask for anything. But if I were you, and lord do I wish I were, I would check around to see who needs some of your dough and spread it around. You are not known to be Santa Claus—free wheeling with dollars and cents—but it may be time for you to ask the underprivileged, “What can I do for you?” It is amazing how much further money goes when you share the wealth.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

Every time I see a car stranded on the side of the road or see someone who has been getting a lot of rain on his parade, I want to stop and ask, “Which of the twins are you?” It has been rough going with Saturn in Virgo squaring your Sun Sign and squared by Uranus in Pisces, but the next two months are going to be a bit easier. You are in for a few breaks and not brakes on your best laid plans. By October your world will have seemed as if you never had a bad day. In the meantime, count your blessings and thank the Divine for the lessons you are learning. Patience, not your long suit, will hold you in good stead when you embrace it.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

If you lay low during the New Moon at 06 degrees of Libra on September 29th and the Full Moon at 21 degrees of Aries on October 14th you will be rolling in clover—kind of, sort of—partially. If nobody will give you the drill I will: The Moon rules Cancer and moves into a different sign every two and a half days. Do the math. Half the month you are free to spread your largesse and controlling manner around the Ponderosa. The other half, you will meet with resistance and stir up the Fire and Air signs to a stand-off. For those of you who write in and ask me, I will send you the days you can kick up your heels and meet with a lot of agreement and fair-thee-well.

Leo (July 22 - August 22)

Both of the Lunations, New and Full Moons, on the 29th of September and the 14th of October favor you, so move forward with anything to do with investments, houses or raw land. Although the markets are yo-yoing and the lending institutions all seem to be going ‘belly up’ you will have the luck of the Irish and the blessing from the planetary gods this month with money matters. Since Leo rules gambling, make sure you are not taking a chance on Lady Luck at the gaming tables in Las Vegas or Atlantic City—the house is not on your side. Take a chance on a good deal, but stay out of the roll of the dice or the upturned cards at the blackjack tables. Ain’t it great that Saturn moved out of Leo? Phew!

Virgo (August 23 - September 22)

I talked to a Virgo the other day and asked her to write me a Gratitude List, and when she called back she had a lot to be thankful for: a lover she kicked to the curb who was more cad than compatible; a job she lost but found a new one that better suited her; and for learning to live on less and pay off instead of spend more money she didn’t have. I asked her if she could continue to learn and change because that’s what her stars were telling me, she said, “What choice do I have?” I replied, “Good answer. In less than a year your rewards will outweigh your losses. In tears, she thanked me and hung up, with an attitude of gratitude.

Sarah McLean

What is Mindfulness Anyway? Let's take a look

What are you doing right now? You are probably sitting and reading this. But what else are you doing? Thinking? Eating? Listening to music? Spending time with your family?

"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: On purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally."

I like Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition of mindfulness. Kabat-Zinn, if you haven't heard of him, is the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He also wrote the books Wherever You Go, There You Are, and Coming to our Senses.

Mindfulness is a term used to describe the practice of bringing one's awareness back (i.e. from the past or the future or distraction of any kind) into the present moment. They say we have 60,000 thoughts a day – including worrying about the past and getting anxious about the future…. and these constant thoughts keep us from being fully present in the moment we are in. That is where our life truly is experienced, in this moment.

So how can we become mindful?

There are two ways to do it: Mindfulness can be practiced formally as a sitting meditation, and you can also practice mindfulness in activity.

When you do it daily as a sitting meditation, you begin to turn your attention inward, and cultivate a silent backdrop that becomes present along with all activity you do – this makes it easier to practice present moment awareness in activity.

Any activity done mindfully is a form of meditation; mindfulness can be done in almost any situation. You can be mindful of the sensations in your feet while walking, or the feeling of warm soapy water on the hands while doing dishes. You can also become mindful of the mind's judgment and continual commentary: "I wish I didn't have to walk any further, I like the sound of the leaves rustling, I wish washing dishes wasn't so boring and the soap wasn't drying out my skin", etc.

Mindfulness done in activity requires you to bring your focus on whatever is happening in the present moment, and simply noticing the where your awareness is focused, and your mind's usual commentary.

Let's look at the practice of eating mindfully - when we sit down to eat we are purposefully aware of the process of eating. We're deliberately noticing the way our body is positioned, the sensations in our body, and the mind and body's responses to those sensations. You might notice the mind wandering, and when it does, you can purposefully bring your attention back to the eating. Mindfulness is a continual refocusing on the present moment.

When you eat without awareness, you may in theory know you are eating, but you might be thinking about many other things at the same time, and may also be watching TV, talking, or reading - or all of those. So a very small part of our awareness is absorbed with eating, and we may be only barely aware of the physical sensations and even less aware of our thoughts and emotions. We almost miss the experience. Have you ever eaten a meal and not remembered eating the whole thing? That is the opposite of mindfulness!

Why would someone want to practice mindfulness? Well, it is one of the meditation techniques practiced and proven to be effective in many research projects leading to:

• Increased self-awareness, self-trust, and self- acceptance
• Enhanced appreciation of life
• Serenity in the face of difficulties
• Lasting decreases in a variety of stress-related physical symptoms, including chronic pain
• Significant decreases in anxiety and depression
• Improved concentration and creativity
• Improved immune system functioning
• Decreased symptoms secondary to cancer
• More accepting attitude toward life and its challenges

Mindfulness is a great way to reduce stress and to experience your life fully. Who wouldn't want that?

After Lehman

By Bill Sharon

There is much scurrying around in the Democratic Party these days; what to do about Sarah Palin. The liberal pundits are in an uproar and the conservatives are chuckling up their sleeves and nursing some cautious optimism. Cable news is having a ball.

This weekend the financial powers of the world met in New York City to try to come up with a plan to save Lehman Brothers. They failed. Barclay’s bank would not take on the debt ridden investment house without a credit guarantee and nobody was volunteering - not their fellow financial institutions and not the Treasury Department or the Federal Reserve. So Lehman goes down and the list of troubled firms continues to mount. Almost as soon as Barclay’s backed out of the deal Bank of America bought Merrill Lynch, the 3rd largest US financial house and one of the top contenders for the next bankruptcy. Washington Mutual probably moves to the top of that list now and AIG, the insurance giant is also in dire straits and scrambling to raise capital. By the time you read this there may be other names in the mix.

Nouriel Roubini is telling us that we are just at the beginning of a major financial meltdown that will result in a one to two trillion dollar loss and a contraction in GDP of 10%. Mr. Roubini has made a living from predicting doom but he is riding a wave of newfound popularity, probably because it is difficult to envisage a scenario that doesn’t’ come close to his predictions. The financial experts who oppose his views make hopeful assertions about the end of the year or early next year for the hemorrhaging to stop but it is increasingly clear that nothing is clear.

I am reminded of the chorus from Dylan’s Ballad of a Thin Man:

… something is happening here
But you don’t know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

The question is who is it that doesn’t know what is happening? It has not been unusual for the public to be uninformed about the bad and even criminal behavior of their government and the irresponsibility of those in positions of authority in the financial system. That’s been the norm, even in the recent past. But the Internet has changed all that. There is abundant information about the nature and dimension of the current fiscal crisis and there is abundant information about the actions of our government. Many ask why there is not more of an outcry. Where’s the indignation and outrage?

This lack of an emotional response is likely because catharsis is loosing its appeal. You couldn’t tell that by the partisan reactions at the party conventions but you hear it in everyday conversations on the street. People know that there is a connection between the financial meltdown and their job security, the rise in food and fuel costs and the diminished likelihood that they will be able to send their kids to college, the lengthy list of failed pharmaceuticals and battle to get insurance companies to cover healthcare costs.

The meetings in New York and London this weekend were an attempt to shore up a financial system that is no longer viable. We should all hope that even with the failure to come to the rescue of Lehman that these financial leaders are capable of engineering a slide rather than a collapse. A collapse will not be good for anyone; an orderly transition out of this mess will not be without pain, but chaos can only result in greater social disruption than we are already going to have. Where are we going and what will the financial system will look like when we are through this experience? No one really knows. It could be another round of the same lunacy, but that increasingly doesn’t seem likely.

Although he surely would have been excoriated in today’s media for his extra-marital activities, John Kennedy is generally thought of as a great inspirational leader. In one of his most famous quotes he asked us not to think of ourselves but to think of each other, to think of our country. Perhaps it is not so much that great leaders lead, perhaps it is that they give us permission to act on what we already know to be true.

Sarah Palin’s admirers love their kids and they help their neighbors. They don’t want their daughter’s to be pregnant before their time any more than I do. They are loosing their jobs, their healthcare deductibles make it impossible to use their insurance for anything but catastrophes and they live paycheck to paycheck like most of the rest of us. It doesn’t make what is considered good television or radio and it won’t warm the cockles of a partisan’s heart, but we all need to find a way to start talking to each other. The Internet, with its many tools (blogs, social networking, radio, television to mention a few) provides us with ample opportunity. Nobody is going to lead us in that effort but hopefully our new leaders that take over next year will encourage us and play to our aspirations rather than our fear. But if they don’t, it’s no excuse for all of us to pretend that someone else is going to solve all these problems for us.