Sojourn Connections: Because 2026 calls for rebellious togetherness

To go directly to upcoming Sojourn Connections events, click here:

https://www.campsojourn.com/sojournconnections

Imagine you are paddling a canoe in the middle of a lake so big that you can’t see the shore.

An eagle swoops out of the sky, talons out.

You duck to avoid the eagle, and your canoe flips, dumping you in the water.

You have a life vest, so you can float, but your canoe is filled with water.

What do you do?

For so many people, 2026 has been an “alone-in-a-capsized-canoe-in-the-middle-of-a-lake” kind of year. We live in America, and America is in rapid decline. Visibly. Blatantly. Disturbingly. Ridiculously. America is decaying in ways we can't compartmentalize away and just go on living our lives. Our bombs are falling on children. Our federal police are reveling in hunting other humans. Our president is vile, and has been elected to our highest office not once, but twice.

It's a daunting time to be a person of good heart.

But we don’t have to do this alone.

Now imagine that you are back in the middle of that lake, but this time you are in the canoe with a friend. And two more friends are in a canoe next to you.

The eagle swoops, talons out, and you all topple over.

2 capsized canoes; 4 wet friends.

What do you do?

Well, for one thing, you all have a good, long laugh! Then you splash each other, maybe scream a little. You scratch your heads about what to do next. You brainstorm options.

Then someone remembers a lesson from summer camp - a way to get the water out of the canoes by placing one in a “T” across the other. ("T-Rescue method")

Then with the canoes righted, you help each other climb back in, providing a counter-weight on the opposite side.

It’s awkward. No one looks or feels cool climbing back into canoes! Which only makes you laugh more. Everyone struggles, but everyone helps each other. The lighter people have an easier time climbing back in. The stronger people give boosts. Someone is providing laughter and light. You all manage to flop back in eventually.

You all head for shore.

This is the lesson of 2026. We need each other. Now more than ever. We need to build and maintain healthy communities. We need to share our knowledge, our strength. We need to lift each other up, so we can right the ship.

Now is the time to go "all in" on community. Prioritize getting together with your family and friends. Get away from screens and the news and the negative crud and just do anything, as long as you are doing it together. Cook, create art, start a book club, hit up a trivia night, go to an art exhibit, tube down a river, play cards - anything. Just get out there with your people.

High school friends before a Cafe Carpe show. There for each other, always... I love you ladies!

If you can, get out into nature with your friends. Nature is free and all around you. Go find trees, find water, find a trail that is just your speed. Believe me, it helps. (For information on off-road wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment available in Wisconsin, check out this Department of Natural Resources site or Access Ability Wisconsin.)

Mid-COVID socially distanced masked hiking at Dorothy Carnes County Park… so therapeutic!

Then, take it to the next step...community activism. As Margaret Mead says, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Maybe YOURS is the friend group the world has been waiting for.

First steps? Someone in your circle knows how to un-swamp the canoe. Seek them out. What about that non-profit your friend is active in? It's time to attend one of their meetings. (League of Women Voters...Indivisible...Moms Demand Action...PFLAG...Sierra Club....Womens March...share your favorite in the comments.)

We need more people voting, more people canvassing, more people attending rallies, more people holding their elected officials accountable. Rebellious togetherness!

Here's a May Day protest in Milwaukee where we marched, sang, chanted and banged drums to show our support for immigrants in America.

Here's a postcard writing party at Culver's. First we ate custard, then we hand-wrote postcards to remind people to vote for Rep. Brienne Brown (Whitewater).

Canvassing is the number one way to persuade someone to vote. This is my friend Gayle and I going door-to-door together for Rep. Joan Fitzgerald (Fort Atkinson).

Canvassing is more fun with a friend- ( And sometimes a dog!)

If singing is your thing - there's a community connection for that! These are the Raging Grannies of Walworth County...singing protest songs that make you cry with laughter.

And there is a growing movement out of Minneapolis called Singing Resistance...find them here: https://linktr.ee/singingresistance

The people of Portland have shown us a great way to protest ICE detentions centers, while protesting peacefully and with humor.

"The establishment will irritate you to make you fight. Because once they've got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don't know how to handle is non-violence and humor." - John Lennon

It's hard to know where to plug in and begin protesting or doing election work, so I've added a page for Sojourn Connections. There are only 59 days left until the midterms on November 3rd. The time is now. Gather your friends and make some good trouble.

The people united, will never be defeated.

P.S.

To all of my friends and family members who have been in capsized canoes with me, THANK YOU! I'd still be underwater and alone without you.

For the lessons above, thank you Phantom Lake YMCA Camp. Some of my favorite memories are playing in swamped canoes with friends and singing camp songs at the top of our lungs.

Sojourn on!