Step Up to the Mic: Celebrate Someone

ft. Bonus Audio Commentary

Remember English class when you had to come up with a topic sentence? I’ve got a doozy for you. This essay is about celebrating joy and bringing hope. Now, don’t freak out. I know it’s very off-brand for this column these days but stay with me. This is important.

Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash

I am devoting this space this week to celebrating and elevating the work of two women I am grateful to know in Perry, NY and who recently inspired me.

The first woman is Sarah McGinnis, the talent behind the lens at Sarah McGinnis Photography and owner of the brand new Captivated Studios on Main Street in Perry.

Besides being a kind, thoughtful and incredibly creative person, Sarah has molded her work and business to be more in line with her spirit. Watching Sarah create her own space and carve her own path has been very inspiring to me and I feel fortunate to be in her orbit at this time in both of our lives.

While I know it takes a lot of courage and long hours and a lot of work to do what she does, to me, Sarah is one of those rare ducks you encounter in life — the kind you suspect have to be furiously paddling to get where they are going, but they do so in a way that is so graceful, it seems effortless.

In my experience, people like this are just where they need to be. They are authentic makers, creators and community builders. In short, people who really make a difference.

And on that note, the second woman I want to acknowledge is Lorraine Sturm. Lorraine keeps the presses rolling at The Perry Herald, has graciously afforded me the privilege of writing this column every week for the paper and, most importantly, she is upholding and protecting our precious First Amendment rights.

Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech are vital. The First Amendment quite literally set the tone for our country. Whether you always like what you read in this paper or not, these freedoms matter greatly. I believe exercising these rights and guarding them fiercely matters now more than ever.

Thank you, Lorraine, for continuing this important work.

Before I go, I want to extend an invitation to you to celebrate and elevate someone you know this week. Whether it’s someone who inspires you, someone who makes your days brighter or easier or someone who just makes you feel safe and at home — let them know and then — pass it on. Simply taking the time to cheer each other on is one of the easier things I think we can do to strengthen our relationships and our community.

If you are looking for hope, if you are looking for joy — I think an exercise like this is a great place to start.

This essay originally appeared in my column in the February 27, 2025 edition of the Perry Herald in Perry, NY.

___________________________________________________________________________

Substack Exclusive Commentary: It occurs to me we are entering, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say we are already in, an era that requires an entirely different kind of “networking.” Beyond being an exercise in joy, I think elevating people we admire and trust and introducing them to others also serves as a kind of “mobilization” effort.

It’s funny, I have been struggling with myself and this idea of balance and balancing speaking up, speaking out and also creating — for lack of a better term — softer content. I know that I want an escape sometimes and I think it’s good for me for a lot of reasons to pursue that. I’ll ask myself: what would I like to sit down and read or watch that allows me to feel inspired for a moment or relaxed.

That’s one side of the scale. The other side is like — we can’t be silent! We have to speak up! I have a strong feeling of responsibility to do that and it’s on my mind and in my body to do that so much more. I worry it is not good for me.

Case in point: what you are reading or listening to right now — posting just my column this week — did not seem like enough. I wanted to offer more context to why I wrote what I did and delve more into the process.

It’s a challenge and it’s something I’m navigating and, at least from what I’m seeing in my own world, I think a lot of other people are navigating those kinds of feelings as well and trying out different strategies to see what works for them.

I’ll share that I’ve recently been writing a piece focused on the rise of people in comment sections scolding others, including myself, to “stay out of politics.” I have a lot of thoughts on that but — and I am not the first person to say this — I think we are far beyond whatever used to be considered “politics” at this point.

I’ll say outright that what we have going on in the United States is not just a difference of opinion, people are living in two completely different realities. The division continues to benefit people who have zero interest in doing anything other than padding their already bloated bank accounts at the expense of our country, its land and its people.

I can acknowledge division is damaging but as a fallible human being I very much struggle with any notion of “coming together” with anyone willing to consistently turn a blind eye to sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, Christian Nationalism, etc. and eagerly turn their backs on the Constitution. I’m not interested in opinions of people who ignore and even denigrate basic education — science and history — to further promote patriarchy and white supremacy. Anyone who chooses to build their own freedom and happiness on what boils down to the suffering of others all while lecturing everybody else about morality is someone I want to protect myself from not engage with.

If all of that is “no big deal” to you, that’s a big deal for me and a big red flag that you are not a safe person to be around.

I get plenty of knocks saying I’m a “typical Liberal” who thinks everyone needs to think like me. I’m aware that people who say things like that typically reach into a grab bag of five or six insults or talking points and post them on anything and everything they manage to stumble across that conflicts with their world view. I get that they see it as their duty to spread the gospel, so to speak. Intellectually, I get it but…

Really?

I know not everyone thinks like me, but I remain stunned by the fact that so many people choose to ignore very scary evidence that is right in front of their face or show so little compassion when it comes to solving problems. A common response to all of this is: “the cruelty is the point” and I think that is at least partially true, it’s a weird and darker version of drastic times call for drastic measures.

I wonder if they ever stop to wonder when it will be enough? How do you think it will be determined that everyone who is “bad” or "ruining America” is gone or put in their place and this so-called Golden Age will reach its apex?

Even better questions: where do you think you will be in all of that? How do you imagine your life will look? What rewards are you expecting for your loyalty?

History is screaming at us when it comes to this.

There are some people who are coming around because they have been personally affected or even harmed. They were fine when it was going to somebody else, but them? Someone they love? How could it be?

It is the definition of learning the hard way.

Conversely, many who haven’t been affected negatively appear to be cheering what they see as progress that’s been a long time coming. They are pleased with what they feel is decisive leadership by admirable and virile men who can “get things done.” They often express a sense of relief and renewed pride and confidence for what they see as renewed strength of the United States and its place in the world.

I went out of my way to be polite in that last paragraph. I only point it out because those people I’m referring to are the same people who consistently write things like: “cry more,” “get over it,” “move on,” and “stay out of politics.”

They make it clear that there is no place for me as I am in their version of America.

Many are also the same people who are quick to explain away and forgive Nazi salutes, rail against diversity, equity and inclusion, and believe billionaires (who pay zero dollars in taxes) when they say programs that benefit the poor are wasteful and what’s wrong with America. Those are the things making your lives worse — all while they are afforded tax cuts most of us could only dream of.

It is exhausting and the years of star-spangled spoon feeding and God Bless America have kept them hungry for more and more — no matter how rotten the lies or how arrogant, childish or reckless the behavior.

“About time,” they’ll say. “Shake things up.”

The spin is always positive.

One woman told me I was ruining myself and my platform by talking about this stuff. She chastised me for, essentially, wasting my time, saying you can’t fight City Hall and we can only control what we can control.

She was half right.

First of all, not only can you fight city hall — you probably should sometimes.

Secondly: I can control how I use my voice and whatever form that takes at whatever times. I’m not about to just sit back quietly while history replays itself. What anyone thinks about that is not my concern or my problem.

Here’s the bottom line: I have to live with myself. That’s it.

I’m going to leave it there for now. Thank you for being here and reading and/or listening to this additional commentary this week.

More to come.