Musings

Andrew Yang, The Yang Gang & A Culture of Kindness

January 1, 2020 Andrew Yang Finding The Good Musings

Long-time, no “see” blog friends! Blogging kind of fell off my radar due to parenting and life in general, but I feel the need to share today…so I’m back!

Those of you that are connected to me on other platforms know that I’ve been kind of…obsessed with Andrew Yang’s 2020 Presidential bid over the last 6 months or so. For those of you who just said “Wait, who’s Andrew Yang?”, please go visit his website at yang2020.com now!

#SaysYang "The point is that we need to rewrite the rules so that everyone has value, regardless of whether they are making the business more money or not. [...] if we continue to confuse economic value and human value, we are going to lose at an epic, catastrophic scale."
#SaysYang “The point is that we need to rewrite the rules so that everyone has value, regardless of whether they are making the business more money or not. […] if we continue to confuse economic value and human value, we are going to lose at an epic, catastrophic scale.”

I first saw Andrew Yang speak during the Democratic Presidential Debates last June. While he was only given a few minutes, he certainly caught my attention… I went on to read and listen to everything I could find about this longshot candidate and I was HOOKED! I’ve never been a politics aficionado and generally pay the minimal amount of attention required to make the “better of bad choices” votes. Suddenly, there is this candidate who speaks to almost everything I care about and almost everything I worry about… He actually speaks authentically and empathetically about how to fix the REAL problems that plague our country. He digs deep into the issues, analyzes the data, and shares them in a detailed but easy to understand format, then provides pragmatic solutions on how to fix them! While he’s a lifelong Democrat himself, he sees the importance of all opinions and draws in supporters from all world views – from fellow Democrats, from Independents, Libertarians, Republicans, and former Trump voters, and from those who have been disenfranchised from the political process in general. Most of all, he sees the intrinsic value of ALL people and lives a Humanity First vision. This vision is truly what resonates with me so deeply…

Supporters of Andrew Yang are known as members of the Yang Gang, the nicest gang in the country. I’ve met a few Yang Gang in person, although the majority of contacts I’ve made have been online through social media. The most dedicated of the Yang Gang spend their days and nights volunteering for the campaign, canvassing for Andrew Yang, making phone calls and sending texts to spread his message, establish events, write songs and create other art in support of the campaign, send letters and cards to potential voters, follow the campaign and share YouTube videos with the latest news, blanket social media with pro-Yang content, and so much more… What struck me most about the Yang Gang is the kindness…Andrew Yang and his followers have created a culture of kindness! Sure, as with any group of passionate people, there are a few bad apples or simple angry expressions of frustration, but for the most part, the Yang Gang is a lesson in respect and goodwill. They gently remind each other “Humanity First” when anyone acts poorly, freely support each other financially so those with more time but less money can be equally involved, and perform many acts of service and volunteerism in the name of the campaign and humanity itself. This is my type of gang!

I woke up late this morning – after a big night of catching a couple streaming movies with my two younger girls, watching a live-streamed Yang event in New Hampshire around 10pm-midnight eastern, snoozing on the couch until midnight while my youngest watched bad TV, waking up to wish my daughters “Happy New Year”, send a quick Facebook post and text to husband & oldest daughter out at a party, and then stumble up to bed…grumbling a bit about the neighbor’s fireworks freaking out the pets. That’s my life these days! Anyway, I woke up to discover three of my Yang Gang friends sharing stories of personal attacks on social media in our discussion group basically for the “crime” of being YangGang. This is such a sad reflection on the hate in our culture today. But these friends have embraced the culture of kindness that permeates the YangGang and did not rise to the bait. They ask for support from others which is quickly dispatched. They respond to anger with facts and civility. They understood that the folks spewing toxicity may be fighting their own battles that cause them to spray their hurt on others that don’t share the same views. Can you imagine what our world would be like if the majority of society reflected the Humanity First values that Andrew Yang preaches and his supporters share?

Want to learn more?

  • Read Andrew Yang’s book “The War on Normal People” or listen to it for FREE on YouTube! This will give you the most in-depth understanding of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the problems our country is facing and how President Yang would address them.
  • Google Andrew Yang! (yang2020.com)
  • YouTube Andrew and devote some time to long-form interviews and Q&As (You can visit the campaign YouTube channel at Andrew Yang for President 2020.)
  • Follow @AndrewYang on Twitter!
  • Most importantly, join the Culture of Kindness and help make the world a better place for all of humanity…

Legacy of the “Mean Girls”

May 24, 2017 Musings The Difficult Stuff

Creative Expression showing a Girl AloneWith my own daughters in and on the brink of those troublesome tween years, the reality of relational aggression or emotional bullying has really hit home. Sadly, the way girls treat each other now seems no better than it was when I was a child of the ’80s.  My oldest has been ignored by classmates she previously called friends, struggled with how to respond to the mean comments of fellow classmates toward other girls, and felt the sting of being excluded from the group. She’s also retaliated with angry lies and malicious gossip and I suspect there has been other ugly behavior than she is unwilling to share with me. A strong-willed and sometimes hot-headed girl, my second daughter has also had more than her share of friendship battles. It disheartens me that they have to deal with some of the same strife I experienced as a child.

I was a shy and awkward child and, while I thankfully grew up in a loving, supportive family, my relationships with peers (especially in those late elementary and middle school years) was not great. While not the primary target of bullying, I certainly wasn’t part of the popular crowd and dealt with more than my fair share of taunting. But what hurt the most was hearing my own group of friends laughing behind my back during a sleepover when they thought I was asleep.  I learned then and there that friends, especially other girls. were not to be trusted. This type of “mean girl” behavior can have lasting effects. tt certainly did for me. Developing friendships, already a bit tough due to my introverted nature, became even more difficult for me. I learned to censor my speech and actions for fear of saying or doing the “wrong thing”. My vigilance has mellowed as I’ve grown older and become more comfortable in my own skin, but I still fully trust very few people.  And to this day, I occasionally fight that twinge of anxiety wondering if trusted friends are being sincere in their interactions with me. This is the legacy of “mean girl” behavior.

So I urge all of my fellow parents, especially moms of daughters, to learn more about relational aggression and be aware of how it effects your daughter and her peers. Notice your own subtle (or not so subtle) interactions to other women in your life. Teach your daughter to be kind, have empathy for others, learn problem-solving skills, and to stand up for others.  These websites provide some excellent ideas:

Maybe our granddaughters will be less likely to feel the wrath of the “mean girls”.

I had to leave the house of fashion, go forth naked from its doors.
’cause women should be allies, not competitors.
– Ani DiFranco (Shroud)

Let’s Talk About Suicide…

May 18, 2017 Musings The Difficult Stuff

I woke up this morning to the news that another voice of my youth, Chris Cornell, had been silenced. He was 52 years old with no apparent health problems and in the middle of a successful Soundgarden tour. He was to play a concert here in Denver next week. As the day progressed, it was revealed that his death was a suicide.

Sadly, like many others, suicide has touched my life several times. A high school friend killed himself the fall of our junior year. A fifteen-year-old runaway I met during my college years took his life not long after returning home. A vibrant young man who was a much-loved counselor for my daughters at adoption camp was found dead in a park, an apparent suicide. Most recently, my young neighbor committed suicide just before Christmas last year. Each of the needless deaths and many others have taken a piece of my heart with them.

We NEED to talk about suicide in our society. There is a definite stigma in our society surrounding suicide and mental health in general. Some of us can’t even speak the word.  We fear that talking about suicide will increase the chance that an individual will commit suicide. Research shows that this is not the case, and in fact talking about suicide decreases the risk. It is so important that the topic of suicide is brought out into the open and those who are battling suicidal thoughts know that they are NOT alone.

In conversations I’ve had through the years, I’ve met many people who’ve had suicidal thoughts or made suicide attempts. It is not an uncommon feeling.  I’ve battled suicidal thoughts in my own life and have distinct memories of sitting on the dirty kitchen floor in my cheap college apartment, heartbroken and staring at my wrist with a knife in my hand. Thankfully, I did not follow through with the attempt.  For me, the understanding of the pain my death would cause family and friends as well as a growing recognition that life is a constant cycle of good times and bad has been the key to living even on my darkest days.

I ask of each of you, be you a friend or simply someone who has stumbled on my blog, please take suicide seriously.  If you think someone is contemplating suicide, ask!  Listen with compassion and without judgment. Tell them how much you care about them and encourage them to seek help.  Give them hope and help them FIND help!  Suicide should not be a secret… If you are hurting or considering suicide, PLEASE REACH OUT! Even if you think you have no one, know that people care. I care. Your life is worth fighting for!  Someone is always listening…

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK, suicidepreventionlifeline.org