When I heard that my dear friend Vicky Bram was running for the select board in our hometown of Hopkinton, New Hampshire I knew I wanted to have her on the podcast.

If you’re thinking, “Catherine, what does a small town local election have to do with your podcast about curious creatives??”, stay with me.

This episode is (at least mostly) not about specific political issues.

It’s about recognizing that listening to your neighbor, especially when you think you don’t have anything in common, is powerful.

It’s a reminder that while we are drowning in a never-ending doom cycle of national news, that our nation is actually made up of small communities, and our own backyard is a good place to start working through the issues that affect our daily lives.

It’s about understanding that in order for things to get better, there must be compromise, and creative solutions, and good people who are willing do the unglamorous work of showing up to serve their cities and towns as volunteers, or elected officials.

From the school board, to the rec department, to the food pantry, there are so many ways to contribute, and this conversation got me thinking about how I might be more civically minded, at a time where I often feel like burying my head in the sand, or succumbing to a doom-scroll.

I hope this episode is an antidote to the the toxic sludge we’re seeing on social media around politics at every level, and a reminder that there are caring people like Vicky who are working hard to make our communities a better place to live and work, every day.

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In case you missed the last couple of Smart Cooks recipes:

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Why Local Leadership Matters Most with Vicky Bram