Disaster sociologists write about man-made disasters. The story is usually the same; systems fail, people step up. Rebecca Solnit, in writing about post-Katrina lives, describes falling together as the world falls apart. We are now in that moment, the moment of crisis where, as Anne Fadiman warns, we cling to tradition and protect the status quo. But many of us are also pushing to our edges, building community and reaching across difference.
This blog is about honoring the undervalued practice of caring for one other. We pay attention to the ways in which neighbors care for neighbors, the crucial roles of health care practitioners and grocery store workers, and to the ways in which we accompany one another through this difficult journey, ala Paul Farmer.
Even the blog entries posted here about self-care are written in the context of aspiring toward collective care – care for family, pets, our earth, friends, team-mates, colleagues, classmates- care for loved ones. Afterall, we are all in this together, and interdependence is central to who we are!
We see this blog as a way to broaden our community of care. Contributors include Colgate colleagues and friends, WHM alums, and current WHM students as well as seniors majoring in Public Health at SUNY Albany! Please please please visit and comment – we love your feedback!
