Going Corny

March 15, 2026

Just Life

From the Oxford English Dictionary -

Corny: Of such a type as appeals to country folk; rustic or unsophisticated; tiresomely or ridiculously old-fashioned or sentimental; hackneyed, trite; inferior.

I come from country folk, I am tiresomely and ridiculously old-fashioned, and I am more and more focused on the things that the wider culture around me has come to consider unsophisticated, trite and inferior.

I suspect that everything we have dismissed and devalued, everything cringe or embarrassing might have the power to save us.

So - I’m thinking and writing about love, the corniest thing of all. Primarily in the form of agape, philia, and philautia - not to dismiss eros but this is a kind of love that can’t be restrained by romance.

Love seems to be considered weak and cringe nowadays. Its the most powerful collective shield, tool, and medicine we have and people are too worried about being corny to rely on it.

As if “ambition” is better fuel. Ambition for what? Why are you off striving for and extracting the material that is sitting right there, like a clear spring, in your own heart?

Do you want to bring the forces of cruelty and evil down? Stand in love because they cannot comprehend it at all.

Move in a way they cannot understand.

Breathe it in, and exhale it. Infuse every thing you do with it. As you commence every act, every chore, every interaction with any living thing - including ourselves Ask: “Where is Love in this?” If you can’t locate it, infuse it, insert it.

Or disengage from it.

Do what you do for love’s sake. Care and protect others for love’s sake. Stand in love to confront all destructive and cruel forces. Soothe people who have been harmed. Allow yourself to receive love and be held by it when you are in depletion or despair. (I am terrible at this but it is my primary daily homework, I’m working on it, practicing it)

If you aren’t loving this feral wild life what on earth are you doing? What else is there to do that could possibly matter more?

The destructive forces in this world are literally prodding, provoking, manipulating and tricking us into hardening our hearts, as if that will protect us, as if that will help us get through.

It actually feeds them and empowers them more. It turns you into one of them, a pawn they can utilize.

f you want to confound and paralyze the forces of destruction and domination Move into the space in your being that confounds them utterly and that they cannot comprehend or defeat.

There is no fear in love

Abolish ICE for love’s sake. Obstruct and overthrow this murderous regime for love’s sake. Protect the earth and its species from exploitation for love’s sake Grieve for love’s sake. Win or lose each battle for love’s sake.

I’m sharing a song that has become a mantra for me, that pulls me back into my vulnerable corny heart whenever I’ve buried and bound it in too armor. Maybe it will become a mantra for you too - or maybe it will make you feel too embarrassed to listen:

The Hanumen - I Love You

I’ve been listening to their music on an endless loop, on my speakers or in my mind’s ear,

and I think its been working.

Community Resources and Support

• Nina Hatfield is accepting applications for the upcoming April Co-Resting cohort! These are such healing lovely spaces for people who need or want to be intentional about their energies and want to still be able to gather with others.

Click here to apply

•  shea in the catskills, Elena Solano & Cory Nakasue are hosting an online launch gathering to celebrate the publication of our one-of-a-kind 2026 planner-workbook, 36 Portals to Aliveness. This planner begins on March 20, the Spring Equinox. I’ll be attending the launch gathering and hope to see you there.

Click here for more information & resources

• As many of you know, I work with several communities of religious sisters, and I have been especially moved by a mission The Holy Spirit Region of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cabrini sisters) have taken on in Sadma Ethiopia: supporting the Fugo people who have historically been banished and ostracized from the wider Sadma communities as untouchables. Raising funds for housing, confronting obstacles to the education of Fugo children, and the power of simply sharing mealscan incrementally transform notions of othering and exclusion.

A short video about the mission

To learn more and donate

• I am in the process of starting a free Traveling Book share: I’ll be sending some of the books from my eclectic and stuffed shelves out into the world to carry their messages to others. I am offering this through the Lectio Membership and those who have joined.

Traveling books page

To become a Lectio Member: two essays and a discussion group each month

Upcoming & Ongoing

THE GATHERED MEETING PROJECT

Every Third Sunday

A Gathered Meeting is a secular community group model derived from structures that are commonly used in Quaker meetings, and in other community groups such as Parker Palmer’s Circle Groups, 12 step programs, and Talking Stick councils.

We met today and it is so heartening to see the project growing, new folks attending, and to see this practical, intimate, and low-conflict group model spreading out into the wider world in a time of alienation and isolation.

Free, donations accepted.

Next meeting April 19th

To download a free pdf of Gathered Meeting norms

or register to attend drop-in third sundays,

READING LIBERATION PSYCHOLOGY

I’m re-reading Jesuit priest and Liberation Psychologist Ignacio Martín-Baró’s writings for this reading group I am feeling so powerfully moved by his work and his words in this moment. Listening to a man who studied oppressive dictatorships & their psychological impact in the people’s lives & was murdered for his efforts

This reading group meets once a month, and so we will be walking with Martín-Baró for the next year - 12 chapters over 12 months. I’m grateful to feel his words and passion within reach during this era of danger and totalitarianism.

We start on Sat 3/21 meeting new members and reading the forward - You are welcome to join us in April or May if you can’t make it next week and want to read along with us.

By donation

To join us

LIVING INTENTIONALLY WITH MORTALITY

The goal of this workshop is to help people incrementally test and gently expand past their anxiety line – to increase their comfort and tolerance of end of life discussions. My hope - and my personal experience - is that by withstanding these fears more than our avoidant culture encourages, that we become  braver, freer and more connected to our lives and the lives of other people and species.

I believe we need this now more than ever

Starts April 21st, by donation

To learn more

THE GROUP-GROUP

This group is designed to support lay people and community members and clinicians in building healthy, boundaried, well-designed non-clinicial community groups.

Many people who have attended this workshop have found it useful, even if they didn’t have a consolidated idea about what kind of group they want to start, or even that they want to convene one at all. This workshop focuses on defining the kinds of community groups that feel welcoming, balanced, and right for you, as a facilitator, convener, or simply as a group member.

I have room for three more people, and two full scholarship seats are available!

Starts March 18th

Click here to sign up

And one last thing if you have made it this far:

It feels like so many people have been laid off, work and eduational plans dangling in mid-air, I’ve been thinking of opening a 10 week discussion/facilitated peer support group for folks who are in the middle of reorganizing their vision for work, employment and sense of purpose in the world.

I lead a group like this specific for helping professions who are working to reconsider and reform their calling in order to face the collective crises we are immersed in, and have led a general vocation group like this before in the past.

If this would be of use to you, drop me a note and if enough people feel the need, I’ll get it going!

Sending you all love and strength, rest and courage.