A friend recently remarked that a conversation with me is like going on an expedition. We laughed and claimed I probably should have a neon sign above my head “warning! deep conversation likely, engage at your own risk.”

So thank you in advance for going here with me. The time for triteness and distractions has passed. The situation at hand is beckoning us to be real, and to really need to gear up.

I deserve a better future, and so do you, and we won't get there without each other. The climb out of chaos is daunting. Conversation is our through line. It begins by telling the truth of our history and breaking the cycles of generational trauma.

To do this, we need to gather our tools of engagement. We need to lend a hand and pull each other up, not constantly put each other down. We need to learn how to catch each other when we loose our footing.

We need collaboration over competition. And contribution most of all. Because otherwise collaboration becomes a buzzword with out substance and real productivity.

Forward begins today.