WHAT DOES IT MEAN . . .
to be engaged? And no, we are not talking about heteronormative coupling practices.
It's more a question of connection, in our view. And it seems to have something important to do with listening.
When we send this newsletter out each week, it's easy to feel like it's a task that needs to be accomplished. In such a view, it can grow heavier and heavier as the clock ticks, getting us closer to deadline (which happens to be noon EST on Tuesday, though if you've been here long enough, you may have noticed we sometimes need an extra day or two in the revolutionary practice of slowness and care).
What I happened to notice recently is how many people engage with this message each week. There was a time when we had a more standard view/read rate of 25 or 30%...but that rate has increased in the last year to more than 40% on many weeks. And this was just the reminder I needed to consider that as much as this newsletter - like the business it rests on - is work...it is also, like so many jobs, a form of connection, if one can remember to look at it that way.
In essence, your engagement reminds us why it's meaningful to engage. This in turn reminds us of the reciprocal nature of listening. Birds sing because they intend to be heard, and they pause between songs to listen for replies. Often I listen to birdsong and marvel at the persistence, when my own response of 'Hello, house wren' or 'Hello, red-bellied woodpecker' is decidedly not what the bird was looking for. It can be exhausting to keep singing when you don't know if you're being heard. The cycle of burnout or overwhelm often leads us to check out.
But we believe listening can be a pathway to staying engaged, even when you are tired. Active listening can be hard work, but it can also be restful, just as connecting with you is our job as well as our benefit.
Yours in food justice,
Tay + Dor
photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
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