PathNorth friends.

These are interesting and challenging times for us all.  Times like this make us want to hide under the covers on certain days. So many of the certainties of past times seem to be unreliable as guides for these days of rapid and large upheaval.  It can be unsettling causing us to cast about for some voice or leader to address our fear.   Just remember, the Republic is strong, we will find a way not only to survive but to thrive.  I had the thought that I might on occasion send out to you, an article or reading that helps make sense of these times.  The following piece by David Brooks filled in a few gaps for me. Take a quick read. It might provide a little more clarity.   Remember to laugh everyday, give thanks every day, and celebrate your friendships.  

Carpe diem.

Revolt of the Masses

David Brooks, The New York Times
June 28, 2016

Anybody who spends time in the working-class parts of America (and, one presumes, Britain) notices the contagions of drug addiction and suicide, and the feelings of anomie, cynicism, pessimism and resentment. 

Part of this pain arises from deindustrialization. Good jobs are hard to find. But hardship is not exactly new to these places. Life in, say, a coal valley was never a bouquet of roses. 
What’s also been lost are the social institutions and cultural values that made it possible to have self-respect amid hardship — to say, “I may not make a lot of money, but people can count on me. I’m loyal, tough, hard-working, resilient and part of a good community.”