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Allowing Strangers to Surprise Us, and Finding Common Ground
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Allowing Strangers to Surprise Us, and Finding Common Ground

From Erin O'Brien's "Epistolary" and Mark Van Laeys' "Us AND Them"

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Tara Penry
May 29, 2023
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Allowing Strangers to Surprise Us, and Finding Common Ground
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I love this post from Erin O’Brien’s The Epistolary, maybe because it reminds me of my affection for the people across the street who hung a HUGE political banner over their front door in 2020, facing the little paper yard sign on my side. But I like these neighbors. I care for them. They care for me. Love spreads from house to house, not city to city. And Erin reminds me of that:

The Epistolary
Dear Guy Who Lives In That One House I Always Thought Was So Cute,
The snow descended in giant flakes; I walked by your tiny house. The leaves formed an emerald canopy; I admired the Wedgewood blue exterior and clean white trim. The autumn sky filled with shimmering gold and ruby red; I silently lauded your small living space…
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2 years ago · 7 likes · 3 comments

I find myself often asking, with Mark VanLaeys in this post, “So What Can We Agree On?” I love the way he looks for answers to this question, moving from an imagined scenario to an actual conversation. Kudos for making the effort!

Us AND Them
Sweeping Generalizations
I’m really trying to steer away from politics, but I can’t intentionally steer away from reality. Doing so is destructive to the human mind whether it’s via mental illness, drugs, or propaganda. When a nation starts to deny reality, it undermines its own existence. Our country has devolved to the point where we’re struggling to agree on even the most…
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2 years ago · 5 likes · 3 comments · Mark VanLaeys

Thanks for reading PeaceLinks! We keep it simple around here. Just links to uplifting reads about peace, the middle ground, and the spread of decency. Subscribe for free to receive new posts.

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Allowing Strangers to Surprise Us, and Finding Common Ground
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