I often wonder what my dad, “The Real” Scott Westerman might say about today’s political climate.Perhaps he would start with a reminder: This is a difficult era, but it’s still our responsibility to shape it.

I turn 71 on January 13. A recent essay from Pam Erwin Moreton caught my attention. Here’s my take on her observations about an honest look forward.

If we consider the discord, the loss, the fragility of the last twelve months, it is easy to feel hollowed out. With all the frightening things happening, the question hangs in the air: What is the case for hope?

Let’s face it. Much of our world today is one big ball of stress. If you have even the tiniest heart, it’s probably hurting. My doc is right. I need more cardio, fewer french fries, and… most importantly a little more awe.

One of my favorite images of Jane Goodall places her at the edge of the clearing in the waning light of an equatorial dusk, notebook in hand, heart open, a quiet force of a woman who changed the world without ever surrendering her gentleness.

It’s that time of year when the “Job Market is Hell” articles abound. It’s all AI, the resumes written and the avatar bots that do everything from responding to your submission to interviewing you on Zoom. And the silence for applicants is deafening. What do you do?