There’s an African proverb of unknown origin: “A man without culture is like a zebra without stripes.”
As a white American girl raised in Africa, that’s always kind of been me. The search for belonging has defined my life. I’ve eventually found it, but not in cultures, countries, organizations, or places. I’ve found it by letting go of some of my assumptions and learning to look well beneath the surface of the people I meet.
At this moment of tumult and grief in American life, many of us are feeling like stripe-less zebras. Some of us have lost our herds. Some of us are realizing we never quite blended with the ones we inherited.
And we never quite do, do we? We are all unique individuals who need each other more than we know. Figuring out how to find and form community and connection amidst chaos, change, difference, and fracture—that’s what I’m all about.
That’s also what pluralistic democracy is all about. That’s what *good* faith is about. That’s what this newsletter is about, at bottom.
On the surface, it’s about all kinds of random things, drawn from my life as a historian, intelligence analyst, lover of Africa, ex-evangelical, and person who thinks she is funny, sometimes. I’m rather a hodge-podge, so what I write about tends to be as well.
Why subscribe?
I’m gonna be honest. You don’t get anything more by becoming a paid subscriber. You will simply be supporting and encouraging my writing. And buying my friendship (to the extent I am able to be your friend. I have a lot of friends, and I am pretty disorganized. No promises).
At some point, if I find I am acquiring trolls, I may lock down comments for paid subscribers only. If you are a non-troll who frequently writes complimentary things on my posts but you have no money, I will figure something out. Don’t stress. I need all the praise I can get, and I will make this happen for both of us.
If you become a paid subscriber, maybe I’ll be able to hire a wife to do work around my house that I am bad at (i.e. all the work around the house). My husband and baby children will be in your debt. Maybe I can go to Kenya more often, which will greatly benefit the local economy because I can’t stop buying African stuff and I am bad at currency conversion/math. Maybe I can finishing replacing all my hard pants with soft pants, which will put me in a better mood which will greatly benefit all the people with whom I come in contact.
But honestly, if it’s between me and a reputable charity (please, no mission trips to paint an orphanage in Africa or celebrity PR vehicles. No offense to Matt Damon, but I don’t think he is the best person to dig bore holes), go with the latter.
However, if it’s between me and another sweater you don’t need, can’t machine wash, and will rarely wear, go with me. Let me buy another sweater I don’t need, can’t machine wash, and will rarely wear so you don’t have to.
Sacrifice a sweater for decent writing. That’s all I’m asking. Or not. You’re an adult, make your own choices.
