Gabrielle, Thank you for your thinking and writing. This is quite brilliant. It should be read by everyone who, like me, is currently wallowing in the overwhelm of awful world events. It gives me hope and motivation to work toward a better future for our children, grandchildren and beyond.
Thanks Gabrielle. I do find myself trying to avoid thinking about what is going wrong with our planet and society, but the prospect of this being the start of something new rather than the beginning of the end gives me much hope. Thanks for turning the narrative around.
Yes. This narrative offers a pathway of hope and possibility and real handles to hold onto to keep us sinking into despair and instead offering how we might begin living today.
I am not mad about the fact that this where we are headed. We did this to ourselves, and quite frankly it just sounds ( albeit hard) better, and more peaceful.
Gabrielle- this is a beautiful, riveting read. Thank you for pouring your heart into this; I really felt that through your writing💚 I live in South Africa and am tending to a biodiverse garden at home and being as much of a light to those around me by sharing small ways to live more sustainably. I was once on the front lines protesting for change, but have chosen a softer approach to sustain my own energy for what is needed in the coming years 🙏 Thank you for being a voice.
Thank you, Chay. I also spent a number of years on the "front lines" which is where I first began thinking about and practicing all these things. I mostly now just write from the comfort of my office that doubles as my baby's nursery! Thank you for reading and sharing here 🙏
There’s a special hope in that - two generations in a cozy nursery/office writing about a future where we live in tune with our Earth 🌍 I’m about to go on my daily nature walk and will think of your essay as I do 😉
One foot in a collapsing system, and with it complicity in the ecocidal and genocidal processes, while having a second foot in building systems that contribute to a regenerative future. It is an awkward dance. Building collapse awareness, albeit discomforting, is an important muscle to flex as the woven strands of our current economic and political structure tear with overshoot. Substantive writing like this is very helpful.
Thank you, Preston. You speak to the exact tension this substack is named for: “holding both”. It is challenging and we may never be fully comfortable in it, but that is indeed the dance!
Your writing is SO important Gabrielle, and I thank you enthusiastically. I have long revered Bayo Akomolafe and this quote of his in particular: “The time is very urgent – we must slow down.” You captured the very essence of what he's driving at in that quote in your entire thoroughly-written essay. Honored to be a reader in your orbit. <3
Excellent! It’s all here: how we can get through and regroup in better ways over the next 100 years.
I just finished Chris Johnstone’s Sustainable Happiness (Su Ha) course. He’s worked with Joanna Macy for many years. A great class for managing despair during the Great Unravelling.
Wonderful writing. Thank you. Yes we need to name it. And do the work of healing not hiding. And breathing! A dear friend of mine has written a wonderful post collapse novel which sits right in this space and offers hope in the imaginings of how we can build reciprocal communities (set in the beautiful little island state Tasmania, in Australia) - https://www.amazon.com.au/Eat-Shadow-One-Linda-Cockburn/dp/0645514209
Thank you for writing this! The past couple days I’ve been feeling we need to focus on this new future rather than everything that’s wrong. It’s important to check in briefly with the news and keep up with all the craziness but that’s not what we need to be focused on. We need to mentally think about these news ways and put those “good vibes” and good thoughts out there. Everyone here on Substack has the capability to do this. As we feel more hopeful then the next step is to start learning the new skills and new ideas. Everyone has at least a small action that can be taken every day and all the small actions add up. They make you feel good. Life seems better even in the midst of collapse when I’m focused on the good that is coming, experimenting with gardening, getting produce from a csa, now volunteering with the csa, learned to make sourdough, home more, no more shopping as a hobby which was never satisfying, things are simpler but good.
Gabrielle, Thank you for your thinking and writing. This is quite brilliant. It should be read by everyone who, like me, is currently wallowing in the overwhelm of awful world events. It gives me hope and motivation to work toward a better future for our children, grandchildren and beyond.
I completely agree.
Thanks Gabrielle. I do find myself trying to avoid thinking about what is going wrong with our planet and society, but the prospect of this being the start of something new rather than the beginning of the end gives me much hope. Thanks for turning the narrative around.
Yes. This narrative offers a pathway of hope and possibility and real handles to hold onto to keep us sinking into despair and instead offering how we might begin living today.
Such a timely and generous piece of writing. Thank you Gabrielle!
Thank you
Not waiting for the collapse, already working on the new thing at cohabitat.org
I am not mad about the fact that this where we are headed. We did this to ourselves, and quite frankly it just sounds ( albeit hard) better, and more peaceful.
Gabrielle- this is a beautiful, riveting read. Thank you for pouring your heart into this; I really felt that through your writing💚 I live in South Africa and am tending to a biodiverse garden at home and being as much of a light to those around me by sharing small ways to live more sustainably. I was once on the front lines protesting for change, but have chosen a softer approach to sustain my own energy for what is needed in the coming years 🙏 Thank you for being a voice.
Thank you, Chay. I also spent a number of years on the "front lines" which is where I first began thinking about and practicing all these things. I mostly now just write from the comfort of my office that doubles as my baby's nursery! Thank you for reading and sharing here 🙏
There’s a special hope in that - two generations in a cozy nursery/office writing about a future where we live in tune with our Earth 🌍 I’m about to go on my daily nature walk and will think of your essay as I do 😉
This is a beautiful, hopeful imagining of our futures Gabrielle. Thanks for lighting up possibilities for us, it feels so very needed right now ❤
One foot in a collapsing system, and with it complicity in the ecocidal and genocidal processes, while having a second foot in building systems that contribute to a regenerative future. It is an awkward dance. Building collapse awareness, albeit discomforting, is an important muscle to flex as the woven strands of our current economic and political structure tear with overshoot. Substantive writing like this is very helpful.
Thank you, Preston. You speak to the exact tension this substack is named for: “holding both”. It is challenging and we may never be fully comfortable in it, but that is indeed the dance!
Your writing is SO important Gabrielle, and I thank you enthusiastically. I have long revered Bayo Akomolafe and this quote of his in particular: “The time is very urgent – we must slow down.” You captured the very essence of what he's driving at in that quote in your entire thoroughly-written essay. Honored to be a reader in your orbit. <3
Thanks I needed that .... and I am sure MANY others do as well
Thank you. Read this first thing on a sunny morning and feel inspired.
Excellent! It’s all here: how we can get through and regroup in better ways over the next 100 years.
I just finished Chris Johnstone’s Sustainable Happiness (Su Ha) course. He’s worked with Joanna Macy for many years. A great class for managing despair during the Great Unravelling.
Wonderful writing. Thank you. Yes we need to name it. And do the work of healing not hiding. And breathing! A dear friend of mine has written a wonderful post collapse novel which sits right in this space and offers hope in the imaginings of how we can build reciprocal communities (set in the beautiful little island state Tasmania, in Australia) - https://www.amazon.com.au/Eat-Shadow-One-Linda-Cockburn/dp/0645514209
Thank you for writing this! The past couple days I’ve been feeling we need to focus on this new future rather than everything that’s wrong. It’s important to check in briefly with the news and keep up with all the craziness but that’s not what we need to be focused on. We need to mentally think about these news ways and put those “good vibes” and good thoughts out there. Everyone here on Substack has the capability to do this. As we feel more hopeful then the next step is to start learning the new skills and new ideas. Everyone has at least a small action that can be taken every day and all the small actions add up. They make you feel good. Life seems better even in the midst of collapse when I’m focused on the good that is coming, experimenting with gardening, getting produce from a csa, now volunteering with the csa, learned to make sourdough, home more, no more shopping as a hobby which was never satisfying, things are simpler but good.