Whole Life Times: When To Hold Back, When To Push

April 2005 | Editor’s Note

When To Hold Back, When To Push

We’ve been talking about you again. We’ve been having animated discussions about what we think you like (and don’t like) to see in our pages. See if this describes you.

If we had to choose a catch phrase, we would say you are a “cultural creative.” This doesn’t mean you’re interested in the arts particularly (although you may be), but that you favor a creative approach to your life. You don’t fit neatly into any one category because you’re continually evolving your life and lifestyle.

Paul Ray, the sociologist who coined the term, lists 18 criteria defining cultural creative on his website, culturalcreatives.org. But if we adhere too closely to any list, we just create a new box. And while Ray denotes some qualities unique to our readers, he cites others shared by people of all stripes—values like loving nature, or caring deeply about relationships.

Overall, we think you share our holistic perspective. So as much as we care about health, the environment and spirituality, that’s not all we write about. Nor do we limit ourselves to issues that affect one age group, race or gender. So while our January cover featured a middle-aged freed slave from Thailand, a local entrepreneurial couple in their 60s graced our February cover. And in March we showcased eco-conscious clothing on a woman in her late 20s who, like all our cover subjects, has a God-given body which, in her case, is naturally lovely.

Likewise, as much as we work for peace, war is a grim reality and we cannot pretend otherwise. The men and women fighting in Iraq are our sons and daughters, nieces, nephews, spouses, lovers and friends. They are our representatives, and their actions have consequences that affect us all.

So we will continue to be as honest and courageous with you as we can, and still have some fun—and we hope for the same in return. Please, stay in the conversation. Our country is already polarized, and if we limit our interaction to those who agree with us 100 percent, very little real growth can occur.

I hoped for a different kind of growth experience when I received a telephone invitation to be an Honorary Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and attend a dinner with Pres. Bush. The NRCC representative began, “Now that Pres. Bush has been re-elected,” (I could see she’d forgotten that this was actually the first time Bush had been elected, but I let it slide), “we want to build on the successes of the past four years. We want to continue cutting taxes and reforming healthcare and social security.” Then she asked if I’d like to donate $500 to add my name to a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal promoting “the business agenda.” After all, she pointed out, even with the taxcuts I’ve already received, she was sure I still pay too much in taxes. (She’s right, I do. I haven’t benefited from any of the top-one-percent tax breaks.)

I would like to go to the President’s dinner. Hearing new perspectives is always empowering. But unlike WLT, this invitation was not free. With no check forthcoming, my invitation was rescinded, along with the honorary chairmanship.

As I reflected on this call, this self-described “media campaign,” I realized something very important. Those who are spearheading the war in Iraq and fighting a woman’s right to choose and ignoring the healthcare crisis and despoiling the environment and opposing marriage between two loving people of the same sex are thinking far into the future. So if you have a stake in even one of these issues, we need to be talking about them!

It’s wonderful that we are all happy healers, but there is more. Life includes breasts and war and dissent and yes, even politics. Maybe especially politics, because if we examine the political forces that have controlled various countries throughout modern history, we see over and over again that a political agenda has the power to dominate—and decimate—an entire culture.

With your support, we will continue to direct the conversation towards a world that preserves a place for all.

From my heart,
Abigail Lewis

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