Journal, -  Jun 25, 2026

June 25

Dear Friends,

We live in interesting times: this is not a curse but an opportunity.

Forgive me for starting with politics. I’ll keep it short. This is the inside of my head.

• The Prairieland Nine have been sentenced to decades in prison for wearing black to a protest and being of the wrong politics. Democracy Now (June 25) explained the legal justification, “providing material support to terrorists,” which means nobody is safe. Hopefully this will be overturned quickly. But this is our country now, and Donald Trump is increasing the revenge as he slides further into dementia.
• Efforts to ruin the November elections by stopping citizens from voting, or claim emergency and call off the whole thing, are transparent. Meanwhile, progressives are winning elections. Two people I know are running for city council here, and one is running for Senate. This is encouraging.
• Closer to home, I worried about a data center being built near my home. Faribault, which had trusted the developer completely, now has to require a full Environmental Impact Statement. We’re part of the great wave to stop data centers from taking over our small towns and rural areas, destroying lives, communities, and the earth, and then leaving a bunch of empty shells after the bubble bursts. (Community resistance stopped them from renting warehouses to make detention centers, but what if they decide to use old data centers?)
  • Working on this has been taking a couple of hours a week, but more head space than that – I read reports, and prepare brief testimony before every meeting, and usually speak. My political action energy is going here, defending my home, community, and the earth.
  • This is a First World Problem: peace and quiet, good air and good health are nowhere guaranteed; people in Minnesota are still being arrested, abused, imprisoned, allowed to die from untreated medical situations, exported to dangerous countries, and losing their incomes and thus their homes because they don’t dare go to work.
  • Now I think we can stop the data center. (2.5 miles away), and I’m starting to relax. I literally don’t know what I’d do otherwise. But then I admit that my physical strength isn’t that great, even as it’s increasing. I’m not physically ready to do full-time work with the land, though I’d probably enjoy it – the community part is too important, and it’s where I’m least strong. I need help. At what point  will I be too old or too sick? That question hangs in the background, replacing the data center question.

“My barn having burned to the ground, I can now see the moon.”

That was on a card from a friend, about 1988, after my camper went into the river. That card sat on my altar for a very long time, and I’d put it up again if I could find it.

I’m giving myself 1-2 years to sort out questions like

1. Can I can find people to live here (community, I mean, not just warm bodies). If not, what will I do? (That’s the barn burning down.)
2. Can I get my health/energy fully back? This question is mostly about the kidney disease. A lot of time and attention are going to this. I feel pretty good, but lab tests are getting worse. (Yes, I know it’s supposed to be incurable.)
3. During the retreat, it became clear that the most nourishing thing was having my hands in the dirt . Also, brisk walking/vigorous exercise is  were essential. Daily life things, including garden/farm stuff and housekeeping and car/tool maintenance – things keep breaking. Today it’s the car. Cutting and splitting enough firewood for fall and winter? Buy a splitter? Maybe I should have regular volunteer days? Hire people?
4. MWA-related projects are waiting: more writing, short weekly blog posts, real retreats here, letters to people I met and loved this past year, personal letters, speaking/teaching events. Plus growing more food, finding local people, and (the worst!) record-keeping and administration.

Finances:

Mysteriously, my bank balance is as high as it was when I quit my job last summer. I haven’t studied this. I learned that if my savings and income are low enough, I can actually get free Medicare, and SNAP if even lower. I don’t choose that. On the other hand, either two housemates, or another three major donors, would raise my income to a comfortable level.  About $30K, assuming Social Security stays in place, and assuming the MWA Board agrees to reinstate my stipend. It’s true that there’s a long tradition of poverty among both monastics and activists, but it’s not mandatory. And I can go back to work.

While doing nothing –

Interesting things have happened. Skipping the details, I’ll just say that people are showing up, offering opportunities, considering living here, offering volunteer labor, and more. The quiet time lasted half a year, and it’s over.

The land continues to sustain me. So much has changed in the 12 years I’ve lived here. I’m attaching videos and/or photos. The photo shows the main campsite in the woods. The video shows work done this year. The main picture is of the driveway.

Announcements:

Upcoming events include teaching in Milwaukee July 3, Cleveland July 10-11, Chicago July 12, and a talk in Minneapolis July 19. Feel free to ask questions about any of them, only Milwaukee and the Cleveland retreat require registration. I’ll be interested in visits in any of those locations plus Madison, and a couple of overnight stops while coming and going.

If you want to support MWA financially, of course donations are welcome, and right now there’s a special offer from iGive.com, $5 to MWA if you sign up through June 30 and make a purchase within a month. But the 1-2% of your plane tickets or online purchases – that would be a lot. I have some suggestions for how to make this be easy. (From my own experience.)

Thank you for waiting, thank you for staying, and thank you for everything you do for earth and people.

Love,

Shodo

For Mountains and Waters Alliance