On this historic Election Day, all I or anyone else can think about is voting. So go do it. Vote. Don’t give this a pass. It’s too important. There is too much good to fight for. If you just can’t decide, just go. Stand before the machine. Think about the community we have. How we know each other and care about each other. Think about your family. Think about laws and human rights that keep us free and safe. Think about the future of our country. What you are feeling thinking about all this is Love. Life getting better for everyone and protecting everyone’s right to happiness is Love. We are at our best as human beings when we give. Voting is giving. Voting is loving. Withholding is the opposite which is resentment, hate, our weakness. We are at our weakest as haters. Our strength is in Love. Love creates and builds and restores, revitalizes, gives life.

How do I know? I’m an old sap learning more and more about this every day from the people I have been blessed to be surrounded by. Coworkers have brought me meals, shopped and cooked, as I’ve dealt with these crutches and two surgeries in six months while production teams led by Rose Quealy (Production Director) and Trent Stork (Artistic Associate), have kept me on point with their passion and smarts lifting me up daily. Tim Rater, our CEO and President, sent an email yesterday in praise of how Saturday night at the theatre, Paramount’s ushers and Front of House Staff led by Jeremy Gehman helped with an incident in the lobby. Paramount’s Doctor in the House Program led by Val Devine just happened to have the good fortune of finding not one but two RNs present who showed great skill and compassion in their practice. There are heroes among us always. Like angels. Now, this Election Day is its own kind of an emergency. Be the hero. Serve. Give. Love. Vote. Be your best and just go. Now. I’m on my way!

Love & thanks,

Jim