Moving away from the confining and often oppressive male-dominated societies is important. We must ensure equal opportunities for girls and women—an ongoing priority. While we continue to make strides, an often overlooked area needing attention is the well-being of boys and men in today's society.

For millennia, human civilization has blindly trudged forward with the ambitious pursuit of ‘progress’ and ‘growth’. In doing so, our ancient story of interbeing and abundance (which arose independently from indigenous cultures across the world) was replaced with a story of scarcity and separation. We have doubled down on a mechanized, reductionist understanding of the world which has encouraged us to maximize ‘progress’ and profits at all costs. And though this model has provided a boon for some, the costs have been far greater.

Should I conform? Should I rebel? This has and always will be, a constant battle struggled individually, or as a society. A certain amount of conformity needs to exist in life in order to avoid disorder. This is the reason we have laws. Take those laws, rules, control, or even expectations, to an extreme, and some form of rebellion is probable. Struggle with these opposites, and you have a catalyst for war, or perhaps, being fired from a job.

I was always fascinated and shocked when learning about the Great War as a child. The stupidity of all wars was here made doubly stupid by the ineptitude of “leaders” who were prepared to see men die in millions in the mud, facing each other across a few hundred yards of barbed-wire and shell holes…

Note: I was an educator in New Brunswick, Canada and, at the time this was written, I was facing imminent layoff without any access to financial support. I sent this follow-up letter on November 10th, 2021. To this day, not a single question has been addressed.

Note: I was an educator in New Brunswick, Canada and, at the time this was written, was facing imminent layoff without any access to financial support. I sent the following letter on October 18th, 2021. To this day, not a single question has been addressed.

The biggest economic, political, and social event of 2020 was a health phenomenon: COVID-19. As the pandemic spread from the Far East to Italy, fear grew that we were facing something really serious. Media outlets across the world conveyed images of eerily empty streets and crowded hospitals in Italy, with the consistent theme of fear and uncertainty. The resulting (and ongoing) series of lockdowns and the yo-yo of restrictions of varying severity have crushed economic activity worldwide, further exacerbating the income gap to unprecedented levels. Overnight, people lost access to their places of worship, community centers, health centers, social spots, and physical connection with friends and family…

Work. What does the word mean to you? Is it something to be avoided? Is it a means to an end? Is it the only appropriate focus of your attention and energy? Is it a way to avoid the rest of your life? Is it a joy? Is it a part of your spiritual practice?

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” - Paolo Friere