And you can say what is, or fight for it
Close your mind or take a risk
You can say it’s mine and clench your fist
Or see each sunrise as a gift
—Coldplay, Up&Up
A round of applause for people making good things happen.
A wise friend of mine once said, “Sometimes it is hard being human.” Those six simple words, written in response to an apology, have stayed with me ever since. I often think of them when I make a mistake—or someone I care about does. (So, almost every single day.) There’s grace in those words, and generosity, and the understanding that we’re all improvising our way through our human experience as best we can.
Something about this issue’s theme has been challenging. “Rise” is a simple concept—so light and airy, so positive. I thought a cheery, celebratory editor’s intro would spill onto my screen with ease. And yet, it’s been a struggle. The world is heavy, and sometimes it all feels a little … unsolvable. Overwhelming. Dark.
But here we are. The Rise issue (Volume 45) has finally emerged from its tightly wound cocoon as a beautiful butterfly. When I look at our lineup, I clearly see this issue has indeed turned out to be all about rising, because almost every story is about people doing something new. Learning a language. Starting a business. Creating a podcast. Launching an event. Building a scene / group / society.
All these things are about finding ways to connect with others. The people who start things—and those who join in and keep those things going—build community. Pure optimism is all well and good, but it takes action to start something from the ground up and make it rise into a thriving, fully fledged entity.
Another throughline in this issue is people joining together to solve a problem: taking steps to control the Island’s overpopulous Canada geese; replacing misplaced grave markers; rewilding industrial tree farms. Stories like these help counter the despair of doomscrolling. People have made a terrible mess of this planet, and centuries of harmful decisions still need fixing, including here in the Comox Valley. But change is possible when we act together, even in small steps. It may be the only way forward. Working together helps us rise—both as individuals and as a community.
Life is short; waking up each day is a gift. We can begin by noticing that simple miracle instead of focusing on aches, bad weather, troubling headlines, or endless to-do lists.
Sometimes it really is hard being human. We make mistakes and messes. We face loss, grief, and loneliness. The world can weigh us down. Yet life on Earth is also full of beauty—and we can add to it through how we live. We can dream, imagine, play, and love. We can make amends, take chances, stay open to possibilities, right wrongs, care for others. We can work to leave our community a better place.
We can start something and invite others to join in. Several stories in this issue end that way: Join us. We love what we’re doing here, and you might, too. Let’s see how far we can rise together.
