POSTCARDS FROM THE FRONT
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ming one more commitment into a schedule already filled to the brim feels impossible .
However , if we are going to add community involvement to our lives , if we are going to live as active citizens , we are going to have to wrest back hours from jobs and studies . Mother Teresa once cautioned , “ Even God cannot fill what is already full .” I don ’ t know the context of the quote but I ’ ve often thought it might apply to our time management choices . I take it to mean that if we want to make time for anything new — in this context , time to get involved in our democracy — the first step is to free up some space , which is likely to require some form of sacrifice . Therefore , understand that you carry a counter-cultural message . What could be more swim-against-the-stream in our society than resisting paid work ’ s expansion into evenings and weekends in order to protect a commitment to the unpaid work of citizenship ? Finally , celebrate and hold up as role
“ ... celebrate and hold up as role models those students and families in your community who already value and make time for civic engagement and continue to invite and nudge those who have yet to fully recognize that citizenship offers us both rights and responsibilities .” models those students and families in your community who already value and make time for civic engagement , and continue to invite and nudge those who have yet to fully recognize that citizenship offers us both rights and responsibilities .
3 . Find your Intellectual Home Base ; Tag Up Often
Finally , my last piece of advice is to invest time in a project that will pay huge dividends over the years : the intentional construction of a network of folks whose work inspires you , challenges you , and buoys you up ! The fact that you read this far into the CSEE Quarterly suggests that you are already convinced ! Nevertheless , I ’ ll remind you of the power of talking shop with fellow practitioners at conferences , cultivating the civics teachers at your local public and independent schools , and scouting out the civics support at surrounding colleges and universities . This is particularly important if you are the primary ( or only !) driver of ‘ civics culture ’ at your school .
Important touchstones I return to frequently include the work of Eric Liu , Danielle Allen , Brené Brown , Robert Putnam , David Brooks , the Weave Project , and BraverAngels . org . When I really need a boost , I ’ m amazed and re-energized by the powerful truth-telling of Frederick Douglass . What follows is a short personal reading list of authors whose work have fed me with great ideas and nourished my perseverance . No doubt you can think of your own favorites . •
Page 12 Summer 2021 CSEE Connections