Things I have learned in the past week.
1) Disappointment hits hard. I am sad that my son and daughter will have a different future than the one I envisioned. I had wanted them to have a childhood in which a woman was a president. I didn’t get what I wanted. I explained this to a conservative student of mine like this: I feel like I had seen the package under the tree, with my name on it, and that it was the thing that I wanted. I am heartsick that Santa would let me down.
2) The best way to console someone who is bereft is to sit with them in silence. This is not comfortable for many people, but it is the best way to console. Look at them, hold them in your eyes. Do not ask them to breathe deeply or tell them that things will be alright — those are ways of asking them to take care of you. Sitting, witnessing the pain of others is a holy act.
3) Nothing and everything can both happen at once. Airplanes will not suddenly fall from the sky. And, the sky is falling. There is no new terror, just new people feeling terrified. This article is good: http://www.cracked.com/blog/dont-panic/
4) You don’t get to choose the crisis that will transform your life. You don’t. Sorry.
5) You are a lighthouse. Live your morals. Live your kindness. Live your faith. Live your hope. Be a bright light for all to see.
6) “The core experiences of psychological trauma are disempowerment and disconnection from others.” – Judith Herman. This goes a bit with number two above. So, here’s the lesson: Be supportive. Be loving. Be there for others.
Hiawatha Johnson, JR.
January 31, 2026
January 2026 — Portland, ORE Hiawatha Johnson, Jr., a mentor and friend died. Summer 1985 — Magic Camp Oakdale, Long Island I’m 15. He’s 30. He wears a dashiki. He uses a walking stick. I’m prepubescent. I listen to comedy cassettes on a Walkman. I’m in awe. ✧✧✧ I perform a rather banal magic act that year — me narrating
