When Images Tell Stories

Right now, words I once used to describe the feeling of chaos feel too small. They feel inadequate for the unraveling.

Every so often, images can replace words. They can capture distinct moments in unique, haunting ways. Tiananmen Square. The young girl in Vietnam fleeing napalm. Simone Biles and the Final Five rejoicing after Nassar.

Or a joyful moment of kids playing hoops in a park. Young guys going for gold. Playing, laughing, and having fun beside a bronze statue lionizing Confederate General Robert E. Lee – a man who fought against his country, then died without one.

There's a saying that no one is more committed to the cause than the convert. The person making up for lost time works with an unmatched zeal.

Imagine if more of us used the energy of a convert to supercharge people – especially those we so easily overlook – rather than accumulate things.

Imagine if more of us zealously stood for, with, and behind those who demand something more powerful than power: respect.

Imagine if we built up the right things, tore down the wrong ones, and were wise enough to know the difference.