Joy is a Radical Act of Resistance
We can hold two things in our hearts at once: We can be happy in America, even while we are deeply unhappy with America. Indeed, being happy in America, as I choose to be, is more vital than ever as terrible news barrages us, threatening to darken our hearts and sink us into despair
Jay Kuo, Substack Publisher, December 2025
I’m struggling with cognitive dissonance. Our hearts are broken each day as we absorb the constant onslaught of hatred this administration is inflicting on the weak and oppressed at home and abroad. Yet if we focus on what is close and somewhat within our control it’s been a good year. We’ve cultivated friendships, expanded interests, and celebrated new achievements in what matters to us. And in how we choose to protest we find strength and joy in “we the people”. We are growing strong roots in our community, finding passion in what we do, and making “good trouble”.
Karen finds strength and meaning in her women’s group. It’s a safe space for those struggling each day with what our nation has become, an opportunity to refocus despair into activism through connection, celebration, and defiance. Activities have included Tesla Takedowns, No Kings, Postcards to Voters, We Ain’t Buying It, and political campaigning. It is pointed, passionate, and collaborative, and ties into the work of Indivisible and other organizations trying to save democracy.
My own advocacy and activism on behalf of the conservation and restoration of Oregon’s public lands increased this year and I’ve broadened involvement in land use planning, affordable housing, and electrification issues. I derive great satisfaction from field work to improve beaver habitat and climate resilience on nearby rivers, to revegetate fire lines before invasive species take over, and in working directly with those in local/state government on environmental issues, all of which bring me into regular contact with great people of all ages. My volunteer work has expanded into Meissner Nordic, a community trail system for skate and cross-country skiing I heavily use, and both Karen and I have become active in the Chris Horner Cycling Foundation and were race volunteers at three events this year. I’ve also taken a greater leadership role in our community “Explorers Club”. I must moderate my ideas of a nice hike or kayak but have enjoyed leading folks on trips that they might not otherwise attempt. In our local community, Karen and I are developing a profound sense of place, purpose and belonging.
Many friendships can be meaningful but temporal. Bend is a thriving outdoor mountain town, drawing in many retirees, including several we’ve known for many years, and many we’ve only recently met. Most of our friends, old and new, share our passion for outdoor pursuits, and we are never short of inspiration and partnership for a multitude of experiences. For me, this year included memorable multi-day trips backcountry skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, hut-to-hut hiking, and rafting/kayaking. And thanks to good friends I finally learned to skate ski and significantly improved my backcountry skiing. I also enjoyed the formative year of a men’s book club in our community, building closeness and appreciation for a group of thoughtful and insightful men with lifetimes of experience very different from my own, and just joined our community bridge club. Likewise, Karen has a growing circle of great friends always ready for a bike ride, a hike, a visit to the gym, or a cup of coffee, has the closeness of her women’s group, and has learned mahjong. In addition to us enjoying our chosen family, Jack, now 5, and Nash, now 2, Karen is always ready to be “Kiki” to any baby or child, an opportunity that occurs with staggering frequency. She fervently believes that dogs and infants are the best people.
If I was asked to explain why in all these years, I never took our kids to my mother’s family home in Ireland, I’d have rationalized my reasons, but it makes no sense to me on reflection. Fortunately, Alex made up for my oversight and set in motion a chain of fortuitous events. He spent most of a month in Europe on a crazy business trip and then tacked on a few extra days to visit the family farms near Galway. My wonderful cousin Marion was his constant companion, and he got to meet several other cousins, and many of his own “cousins, once removed”. He loved life out there, befriended the farm dogs, nursed a baby calf, and swam in the lake that no one else thinks to swim in!
His visit kicked off a delightful string of communication between me, Marion, her sister Trish, and Trish’s son Odran, who happened to be studying in Long Beach, California, January thru June. Trish and Odran came to stay with us for a few days in April, and Odran was back with us at the end of June. There was grand craic, and we climbed great mountains, paddled white water, and tried to destroy each other on mountain bikes. It was all wonderful, and we plan to visit Ireland next summer.
Alex and Cassie have been dating for six months. They are two peas in a pod at taking the trail less travelled, or more frequently “never previously attempted”. Cassie backpacked the entire Colorado Trail (500 miles) this summer, and Alex joined her for the week from Breckenridge to Twin Lakes. We are enjoying getting to know Cassie, both around the dinner table and out on hikes together, and look forward to more of both.
Luna remains Alex’s other love, and remains a big part of our lives too, frequently hanging out on the deck while Alex goes out for a run, or is out for the evening. Which can be the same thing as Alex delights in running on the forest trails at night when all is calm, and all is quiet.
Brendan and Amy have purchased a lovely home in Portland backing onto Tryon Creek/Marshall Park. The backyard provides a bird and critter friendly natural habitat and great access to favorite trails, so we’re hopeful they will be there for many years to come. It’s been fun to help them with projects on the house and discover we acquired some useful tools and skills for DIY over the years.
There seems to be much more to share, no doubt a result of me not posting regularly on Facebook as I used to. While we didn’t travel abroad this year, we had many delightful explorations both near and far. Now I have finally started a blog I have a lot of catching up to do. But for now, I’ll close with three other significant inflection points. For the first time we were legitimate Trail Angels this year, helping in multiple ways some post-college kids backpacking on the nearby Pacific Crest Trail. We also were Angels to a family of French cyclists on their way from Vancouver BC to San Francisco. We greatly enjoyed both experiences and hope to do more in the future. After some uncomfortable years limiting her activities due to knee arthritis Karen is now back on an acoustic bike (vs. e-bike), hiking further/higher, hitting the gym hard and we did her first backpacking trip in a few years to Paradise Park on Mt Hood to celebrate Ken & Anna’s wedding anniversary. And finally, my semi-serious study of Oregon geology has increased, including a wonderful 5-day rafting trip (with friends!) through the remarkable Owyhee Canyon in the company of a professional geologist, as well as a very talented bird watcher. The Owyhee Canyon is one of the largest, wildest, and most remote areas in the contiguous U.S., and packed with stunning geological formations and rich biodiversity. Another reason for another blog post!
In closing…an image that appropriately pulls together all the threads of our lives in 2025 – outdoor adventures, time spent with good friends, and time invested in good trouble. Wishing you continued care and resilient in 2026.
