Jane, you are right, we all want safety. For many people, being seen and heard feels like safety. Unfortunately, for many others, safety feels like something only possible when not seen/heard. The pain of humanity's brokenness runs deep, and it shows up in individuals in ways that could feel like love to them but land as an attack on others. Your message is always heartwarming and encouraging. Thank you for sharing!
How does one person pack so much value in 13 minutes? this was amazing! The part I will comment on is your meeting someone who made you feel valued. I knew I'd found a girl tribe when I looked at my closest and longest held friends and realized that being with them changed my body on a "cellular level", that i never felt judged, always felt their compassion and joy for anything I did, felt stronger around them and I feel the same of them. Our motley crew is what gets me through. And I must thank Christian,:) as I will be on a long flight today and I will be rewatching the Fred Rogers Movie :) We barely knew how important he was, reminds me of Charles Schulz, giving a beautiful message to the world in the simplest way. Thanks again Jane for your words of wisdom.
Thank you for this. That is really good food for thought. We can't lose the wisdom of the past in exchange for new developments for the future. It's not a zero-sum game. We can't throw the baby out with the bath water. I love this community. Thank you Jane ❤️
We are the same age, having been classmates at Vassar. I love thinking of myself as a shepherd, still going strong to build the kind of community you describe. My lambs are younger women needing support and love. I'm keen to recognize all the signs of the coming of the more beautiful world our hearts knows is possible. (Title of book by Charles Eisenstein)
I so enjoy these from you. An opportunity to take some time to think about our current - and past - times and experiences with kindness and love. Hello to Troy from Gretchen from the Chicago courthouse. 🤗
Greetings, Jane. It's Sunday here in NYC and I waited until this morning to watch your latest post, since I wanted to be clear of distractions. What a gift to wake up and see you read my letter about "The People's Filibuster" and share "What Do You Do with the Mad That You Feel?" with your community! (Yes, you have definitely created a community here on Substack.)
I appreciated your letters from Indigo and Caroline. It was the first time I heard that quote from Buckminster Fuller: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." YES. Those are not only words to live by, but words that can activate change.
I'm glad Indigo shared Rumi's poem, since I've often seen people quote "We are all walking each other home," but never knew the source until today. "Let's be shepherds to each other." The way you phrased that inspired me to just exhale ... Yes, let's help each other through the uncertainty and the division that's ailing humanity. I believe we can be "a lamp or a lifeboat or a ladder" to each other because I know people who have been those things for me.
When I read "My Life So Far," I remember being so intrigued by your discussion of the coffeehouses in the GI Movement, so thank you for sharing more from those experiences, especially how Terry Davis embraced you. She saw through to your heart! (And the Oleo Strut? What a name!)
All the best from NYC ... thank you for an inspirational start to the week.
Thank you, Jane, for this inspiring session! I loved you saying some people made fun of you. Hard to believe, but shared, I know, by so many of us. My comeback is always, “ I’m stronger than I look!” And I am. We must see and know how strong we are, and we can get the world we envision.
Hello Jane. You looked great at the Oscars. You came to my email lately as I'm following Don Lemon and a Canadian former NDP member Charlie Angus who I wish was the leader of the party(Oh Well). I'm an old NDPer for over 50 years. Anyway I had a thought that you are probably friends with your ex husband Ted Turner. Do you think you could get him to buy back CNN. It could save that voice and improve it to what it was when he owned it. Your country really needs all the help it can get. Especially from people with power and money right now who believe in Democracy. It's maybe worth a try. We used to share a Doctor I think in Toronto many years ago. Dr. David made a great face cream apparently. I always thought that was fun if true. Perry
I had to watch your Documentary -- Jane Fonda in Five Acts -- again. I've seen it five times and enjoy it more every time. Darling Jane you grow in integrity and wisdom with every breath you take ... and sweetheart, we ALL know that you were the right person to tip her hat to our Beloved Bob at the Oscars. I treasure every movie you two did together ... each one got better and better, especially Our Souls at Night ... wow Jane! I tear up just thinking of that precious movie. You are OUR STAR forever and ever .... Amen!
Thank you, Jane, for your open-hearted embrace of the goodness that exists, and the potential to reach for something better!! I have longed for a simpler world without plastics, but here we are. So it is encouraging to learn about the options. I started a Styrofoam recycling program in my little Western MA town that now includes four other towns. The goal is reduce the use of that foam in the first place, but education is key, and encouragement to help collectively address the issues and search for options. To be shepherds, and to follow those with wisdom....your beacon is bright!! With gratitude, Annie
You were right about the hemp car Jane, just wrong person.
In 1941, Henry Ford unveiled a prototype car sometimes called the “hemp car.”
• The body panels were made from a bioplastic that included fibers from hemp, along with soybeans, flax, and wheat straw.
• The goal was to create a lighter, stronger, and more sustainable alternative to steel.
• The car was also intended to run on hemp-derived ethanol fuel (though this part is sometimes debated or overstated).
Fun fact
Ford famously demonstrated the strength of the material by swinging an axe at the car’s body panels, which didn’t dent like metal would.
You have been an inspiration to me for more than 50 years. Thanks so much for your enduring light.
That Rumi poem is so beautiful. It made me tear up. 🥲🩷
Jane, you are right, we all want safety. For many people, being seen and heard feels like safety. Unfortunately, for many others, safety feels like something only possible when not seen/heard. The pain of humanity's brokenness runs deep, and it shows up in individuals in ways that could feel like love to them but land as an attack on others. Your message is always heartwarming and encouraging. Thank you for sharing!
How does one person pack so much value in 13 minutes? this was amazing! The part I will comment on is your meeting someone who made you feel valued. I knew I'd found a girl tribe when I looked at my closest and longest held friends and realized that being with them changed my body on a "cellular level", that i never felt judged, always felt their compassion and joy for anything I did, felt stronger around them and I feel the same of them. Our motley crew is what gets me through. And I must thank Christian,:) as I will be on a long flight today and I will be rewatching the Fred Rogers Movie :) We barely knew how important he was, reminds me of Charles Schulz, giving a beautiful message to the world in the simplest way. Thanks again Jane for your words of wisdom.
So beautiful! Jane, you are more incredible and inspiring than ever in your life.
Your activism inspired a character from my novel. I hope you received the copy I sent.
Much love! 🌈🌈🌈
https://scirepopulumetpotentiam.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mad-that-you-feel-pitch-0.00-tempo-137-1.mp3
Here's my version of his song.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fKy7ljRr0AA
I had intended to include this--Mister Rogers testified before the Senate with the words to his song.
Thank you for this. That is really good food for thought. We can't lose the wisdom of the past in exchange for new developments for the future. It's not a zero-sum game. We can't throw the baby out with the bath water. I love this community. Thank you Jane ❤️
“We’re all just walking each other home.” ~ Ram Dass
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~ Gandhi
Yes, yes we are. All of us, not just some. No one left out.
ONWARD. 🙏🏼
We are the same age, having been classmates at Vassar. I love thinking of myself as a shepherd, still going strong to build the kind of community you describe. My lambs are younger women needing support and love. I'm keen to recognize all the signs of the coming of the more beautiful world our hearts knows is possible. (Title of book by Charles Eisenstein)
I so enjoy these from you. An opportunity to take some time to think about our current - and past - times and experiences with kindness and love. Hello to Troy from Gretchen from the Chicago courthouse. 🤗
Greetings, Jane. It's Sunday here in NYC and I waited until this morning to watch your latest post, since I wanted to be clear of distractions. What a gift to wake up and see you read my letter about "The People's Filibuster" and share "What Do You Do with the Mad That You Feel?" with your community! (Yes, you have definitely created a community here on Substack.)
I appreciated your letters from Indigo and Caroline. It was the first time I heard that quote from Buckminster Fuller: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." YES. Those are not only words to live by, but words that can activate change.
I'm glad Indigo shared Rumi's poem, since I've often seen people quote "We are all walking each other home," but never knew the source until today. "Let's be shepherds to each other." The way you phrased that inspired me to just exhale ... Yes, let's help each other through the uncertainty and the division that's ailing humanity. I believe we can be "a lamp or a lifeboat or a ladder" to each other because I know people who have been those things for me.
When I read "My Life So Far," I remember being so intrigued by your discussion of the coffeehouses in the GI Movement, so thank you for sharing more from those experiences, especially how Terry Davis embraced you. She saw through to your heart! (And the Oleo Strut? What a name!)
All the best from NYC ... thank you for an inspirational start to the week.
Thank you, Jane, for this inspiring session! I loved you saying some people made fun of you. Hard to believe, but shared, I know, by so many of us. My comeback is always, “ I’m stronger than I look!” And I am. We must see and know how strong we are, and we can get the world we envision.
Hello Jane. You looked great at the Oscars. You came to my email lately as I'm following Don Lemon and a Canadian former NDP member Charlie Angus who I wish was the leader of the party(Oh Well). I'm an old NDPer for over 50 years. Anyway I had a thought that you are probably friends with your ex husband Ted Turner. Do you think you could get him to buy back CNN. It could save that voice and improve it to what it was when he owned it. Your country really needs all the help it can get. Especially from people with power and money right now who believe in Democracy. It's maybe worth a try. We used to share a Doctor I think in Toronto many years ago. Dr. David made a great face cream apparently. I always thought that was fun if true. Perry
I love these Jane chats! I hope you will do many more. All that is missing is a lit fireplace! Love it!
I had to watch your Documentary -- Jane Fonda in Five Acts -- again. I've seen it five times and enjoy it more every time. Darling Jane you grow in integrity and wisdom with every breath you take ... and sweetheart, we ALL know that you were the right person to tip her hat to our Beloved Bob at the Oscars. I treasure every movie you two did together ... each one got better and better, especially Our Souls at Night ... wow Jane! I tear up just thinking of that precious movie. You are OUR STAR forever and ever .... Amen!
Thank you, Jane, for your open-hearted embrace of the goodness that exists, and the potential to reach for something better!! I have longed for a simpler world without plastics, but here we are. So it is encouraging to learn about the options. I started a Styrofoam recycling program in my little Western MA town that now includes four other towns. The goal is reduce the use of that foam in the first place, but education is key, and encouragement to help collectively address the issues and search for options. To be shepherds, and to follow those with wisdom....your beacon is bright!! With gratitude, Annie