On this day of whirlwind writing, doing, exercising and going full force, I re-visited this quote from one of my characters that got me pondering life’s mysteries. I want to keep on pursuing truth to the best of my abilities and help others when I can. When I look at myself in the mirror, sometimes I just see an old lady, with old lady skin. Other times, I see a person who has lived a wonderful life, solving problems when I can and helping out as much as I can. I want to others to experience what I have experienced. I keep on pushing people to see that we must continue to do the monkey wrenching from days of old, but in a more subtle way. We don’t want to get disappeared by those masked secret police (you know who I’m talking about). We must do it in the daytime, with our voices, and our written word. We must continue to make people care about each other and not hoard our wealth. (Are you listening billionaires?) We cannot be complacent! Complacency is the new evil of humankind. If we just wish it to go away, it won’t happen. We have to do and do and do. If we create some chaos, we will be become uncomfortable, but we must continue to increase that uncomfortableness and strive on. I hope you all are listening. Give those a push, those who need to get out of a rut. Give to those who are trying to do better. Give to yourselves for caring.

• “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “The tragedy of life is not found in failure but complacency. Not in you doing too much, but doing too little. Not in you living above your means, but below your capacity. It’s not failure but aiming too low, that is life’s greatest tragedy.”—Benjamin E. Mays
• “It takes courage to speak up against complacency and injustice while others remain silent. But that’s what leadership is.”—Rosabeth Moss Kanter

I reach out when I can and give an abundance of zucchini to others. I make wonderful meals with my bounty and share it with my family. It’s been a good life and I hope I live to 100! I will fight the good fight as long as I live. I hope you are doing the same. I love you all on this cloudy, smokey night.