Marietta McCarty
is a New York Times bestselling author, philosopher, and teacher. She defines philosophy as “the art of clear thinking," and invites every one she encounters (or anyone who picks up one of her books) into the good life, marked by simplicity and the fullness of life's greatest treasures.
Just before sunrise the next morning, I awoke cradled in carefree joy. The ocean washed away the remaining pandemic residue—the last smatterings of shock and fear released overnight into salt air. The dolphin parade mid-morning melted fourteen months into one deep breath of gratitude. Cleansing, purifying water baptized me. Primordial newness. Infinitely fresh. Always beginning. Romping dolphins played tag. Not it! It.
Read MoreSpring forward. Ta-Dum. Inhale—exhale. Heel—toe. Here—Now. Cha-cha-cha. Ta-Dah.
Read MoreTogether, woven into a ragtag assembly, our eyes meet naturally and hold. Such sweet bedlam engulfs me for almost five hours. Not one raised voice, not even one—those leaving the tent and unable to get the vaccine nevertheless calmly detail the snafu and proudly show off their new appointment cards. No complaint, not one, from those in wheelchairs or dressed in shirtsleeves.
Read MoreThinking outside the box? There isn’t even a box, for anyone. New eyes, new hearts, new minds embrace every possibility. The sky isn’t the limit. Any and every thing right here and now presents possibility.
Read MoreHere’s my December 4 interview on WTJU with host and longtime friend Brian Keena. The music and memories shared in this two-hour show extend a hand for holding tight until the vaccine liberates us all. The songs come from a windowsill radio beloved by Maria and me—my mother June’s tunes the kickiest kitchen spice in my childhood home celebrated in Leaving 1203.
Read More“We’ve got to get some light in here.” The gardens of our hearts beg for starting over, untying knots, pulling weeds, letting go, opening up. Reaching higher, turning over, clearing away, giving thanks, unwinding brambles. Laboring today for tomorrow’s promise.
Read MoreCan we defeat our lapses into stereotyping? Can we free others and ourselves? Yes, we can. It’s never too late. Freedom always matters.
Read MoreRepresentatives Lewis and Ocasio-Cortez have changed the soundtrack of this country. Often captured with their heads thrown back in laughter or dancing, these two messengers radiate joy in spite of it all. They inspire us to keep the faith, try harder, do more. And laugh and dance.
Read MoreMy Black teachers today offer perspectives only they can. I’m humbly astounded at how much I learn daily, how much I didn’t know. Forget my assumptions. I know some things—my instructors Know Things. Here’s where I turn—just some of my mentors.
Read MoreYes! I present as exhibit A+ the ordinary, and therefore extraordinary, moments that revitalized my spirit.
Read MoreI appreciate my grandmother and father in a spanking new way. Neither talked about past hardship—they did what needed doing. How humbling, their sacrifices. What little I know of deprivation or terror. I must latch on to this worthy perspective. “Getting over myself” seems the least I can do. May empathy always triumph over ego.
Read MoreGood communication always eases dis-stress, and especially now. Trust in the rewards of listening and being heard, touching through the distancing. Don’t lose faith in our human sameness—revel in its proof. Closed in, we can nevertheless open up.
Read MoreAccept fear, anxiety, heartbreak, mood swings, and mind games as part of daily life. You are not alone. Nothing has proven more dramatically how interconnected we are—the planet and its inhabitants just one wool scarf, knitted together for warmth. All stitches must hold. Empathy cements those stitches.
Read MoreI was born in Stuart Circle Hospital, named after the striking sculpture of the Confederate general at the circle’s center. Over the years from the backseat of the family station wagon, I anticipated the galloping horse as we got closer, turning to look back at the rider’s plumed hat and cape. My last image was always of the spurs on the heel his left boot, barely secured in the stirrup. Fortunately, mine is not the only imagination captured by this sculpture. Meet Kehinde Wiley’s 2019 re-imagination of another whinnying horse and purposeful rider.
Read MoreOld friends root our lives—our bonds remain the same despite time’s passing. I no longer wonder why I feel comforted and assured, despite chaos rumbling, local to global. In the midst of an ever-changing world, old friends stand taller than the test of time.
Read MoreArthur Ashe’s life could have been the long story of all the things that he could not do. Instead, through inner resolve and self-confidence, he did it all. What a fine example he is in these dark days in the United States. He suggests to each of us a way forward. In Arthur’s words: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Read MoreYes, that’s what books do—link different worlds. Books supply tickets to travel through time to new places. They spark our imaginations as our spirits soar far and free. Books motivate and change us. Books introduce us to ourselves and humanity. And most of all, they make us aware of human sameness.
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finish line in sight / excitement for the future / keep pushing forward....
nine long trauma years / Kamala Harris rising / joy repairs our hearts