Hello again!
We’re coming up on Labor Day in the US, which is our traditional end of summer. When I was a kid, school always started around us the Wednesday after Labor Day. Even after working full time for many years, I still feel the tidal pull of that calendar.
The last Hope Notes went out on June 18th. Since then, I’ve wondered how and when to start up again. It feels like June was three years ago, instead of three months.
It’s clear now that in the US we are not running a sprint, or even an 800, but a marathon. We face a set of stubborn problems, made more visible and more complex by the pandemic.
Back in March, I started writing Hope Notes out of instinct:
We will find our way out of this. The worst of this moment shall pass.
All summer, I’ve wondered:
How? How will we find our way?
The coronavirus carries a truth that many people have tried to deny. We are, always, each other’s keepers. We have a duty of care and loyalty to each other. This duty is not a burden. It’s a joy, even when it takes the form of hard work and sacrifice.
This is what I want to explore here. Without ignoring the harder edges of reality, I want to dig deep into how our own resilience really works. We practice resilience as individuals, and we practice resilience in communities of all sizes. What can we learn from each other, in a time when we feel like there’s so much work to do?
To reflect this change in focus, I am renaming this weekly journal from Hope Notes to Build Notes. We use the term “build notes” in the tech industry to document what’s new when we refresh or update a software program, or a technical project. The Build Notes in this journal will be documenting how we can build ourselves up as truly thriving individuals and communities.
I’m planning to do some more of my own reporting in this cycle, because I love talking to people and hearing their stories. If you are learning something important about hope and resilience right now, or you see someone in your life whose story deserves to be told, please let me know. In the weeks ahead, I’ll publish some examples of what I have in mind, and that might help to stir up ideas for you.
There’s some fun stuff below - don’t miss it! Thanks for hearing me out. I wish you well.
- Michael
Who Run the World? Dolly.
This summer, a video of two young Black men listening to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” for the first time went viral - the first 90 seconds or so is the best part:
That song is still a banger after almost 50 years. What kind of magic is that?
Dolly Parton is still vital in American culture at age 74, funding coronavirus research and generating fresh controversy. I didn’t grow up with her music, but came to it later, thanks to my wife. So I spent some time this summer learning about Dolly’s music and her remarkable mind. Dolly Parton is an icon of resilience herself, often writing about resilience in her music. She grew up poor, famously the 4th of 12 kids in her family, and worked to achieve success in the face of a huge amount of sexism.
It’s hard to be universally adored on Twitter, but Dolly has really earned it.
(Video is 2 minutes long)
CBS Sunday Morning profiled Dolly last year.
(Video is 9 minutes long)
If you’re ready for more, the podcast Dolly Parton’s America is a great overview of her career and how people think about her work, and her cultural impact, today:
Dolly Parton’s America: Episodes
(Podcast series from WNYC.org; episodes vary from 30-60 minutes long)
What Are The Sultans?
Let’s keep going in the music world for this week.
I’ve always imagined that if you hire a wedding band, you’re getting a handful of solid musicians who are picking up weekend gigs for money. In the case of The Sultans, you’re hiring a collective of 150 dedicated professionals, about 6-12 of whom will actually play at your wedding. The story of this band is fun, but what really knocked me out here is the way the original Sultans grew and evolved over time. They started out as a conventional band before turning into something really different and special. This is a cool example of how we can innovate around organizing work.
We Bet You Miss Weddings. America’s Greatest Wedding Band Does Too.
(Article from GQ.com; 30 minute read)
Shorter option: The King of The Sultans
(Article from Martha’s Vineyard Magazine; 11 minute read)
And Finally…
It’s always tough in the first couple days of a new month to remember which month you’re in. Luckily, the good people of Earth, Wind & Fire gave us a helpful reminder.
Stay groovy, friends.
Did you receive this as a forward from a friend? Build Notes is published each week on Thursdays, which are 100% the best day of the week. Subscribe to future updates here: