 We all laughed at that and that is significant Because if there were truly no hope Then we wouldn't be laughing There's some part of us that recognizes a possibility That justifies the laughter like it's not so serious really and of course Humor can also be a way to deflect and distract from what's real and in front of us But there is a truth in humor as well. There's a truth in the joke when all else fails in a time of conflict such as our time today if you can at least laugh together then There's a chance of peace Because to share a joke says yeah, we're not really taking a lot so seriously There's another reality that we're both standing in that we can laugh at it positivity and optimism Do not come from avoiding the actual situation There on the other side of that however, if we only bring in that part of reality and not the miracles that are also and and and the Outreaches from a larger reality That are that's beckoning to us then we're insane as well and we enter the pit of despair we are Coming into very turbulent times when a lot of what has been hidden what has been Pushed aside swept under the rug the can that's been kicked down the road and I can think of some more cliches I'll share them with you later When when the chickens are coming home to roost When and we've been seeing it already happening like for example the the Recognition of the slavery and genocide and other horrors that Were kind of like cut out of American history were not fully Acknowledged not fully understood not fully seen those are starting to come back Into the public consciousness the The ecological destruction Degradation that has also been we've kind of shielded from it because It's it has been possible to avoid it has been possible to and still is possible actually like I don't want to say that that our Transcendence of the current human condition is an inevitability that will be brought to us by Crisis and collapse It's not quite so easy Some of you were there last night I spoke a lot about this last night that it's a choice that crisis and breakdown offer us Not deliverance, but a choice