Chapter 7: Networks

I felt by the time I reached this decade and confirmed by what occurred thru those years, that all the many paths I had taken in my life and people I had met had more/less compounded and integrated into my life in many deeply profound ways. By the time I "retired" in 2014 (I didn't actually declare this for several years thinking I was going to remain working in some form of professional sense), my plan was to simply take things "organically" without striving to be overly zealous on searching out next steps, my usual mode. What happened as a result was mind-boggling. The complex set of networks that I had unintentionally for the most part created were confluencing into headwaters I did not anticipate. I began to "connect the dots" (the chapter title) in ways that were helping me become informed about racial and social justice issues that I had no idea about... and more importantly taking direct action and not being silent. This then led to meeting new people including many BIPOC, several of which have become friends and who have provided great support in the writing of this memoir. In some circles, I have become known for my ability to connect the dots, find a resource or the right person, and be intentional about using this ability for the common good.