Saturday, May 23, 2026

Stillness and Motion

AAA reports that 39 million Americans are going on roadtrips this holiday weekend, which reminds me of my youth. We’d always go camping, a tradition several of my family members are carrying on as they enjoy trips of their own.

Gas prices are high, which reminds me of my father’s habit of always keeping a running total of fillups. He’d make a notation of how many gallons at what price and the mpg per fillup based on the odometer reading. He’d ask me to do those calculations in my head, and I did so.

I continued with that tradition for a while as an adult, but let it slip away as my life became more complicated.

Holding onto things as opposed to letting them go is much on my mind these days. I’ve been sorting through some of my possessions, discarding stuff I no longer need, and preserving the rest.

Unlike the 39 million others, I am not on the move this weekend. I’m stationary, watching the world spin around me and wishing that just for a moment everything could stay put.

But that is not the way of the world, which I, finally, must concede as well.

***

The resignation of Tulsi Gabbard from Trump’s cabinet makes almost complete the disappearance of women from top positions in his administration.

Her departure formalizes what was already the case — that she was out of the loop of those close to Trump as he continues to wage foreign policy from his gut. 

No one close to Trump will challenge him on that. But we, as a people, must.

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