Thank You
The Steady community
Dear Steady community,
The calendar approaches January 22, which is a red-circled day for us on the Steady team: It is the anniversary of the launch of this newsletter. Now we are about to plunge into our third year. I frankly can’t believe it.
I can be dense about a lot of things, but one thing I know for certain is that none of this would be possible without you. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
I am humbled by how much you have embraced this community and what we have set out to do. In a world bubbling with cynicism and superficiality, your comments, participation, and willingness to share Steady with others serve as a rebuke to those who dismiss the power of hope and connectedness.
There is a saying that “good things come in threes,” and I certainly hope that is the case with our third year. This endeavor has given this old anchorman far greater joy and sense of purpose than I could have imagined. When my longtime collaborator, Elliot Kirschner, began discussing whether we should jump into the newsletter world, I had no idea what to expect. Neither did he. Neither did anyone.
I always try to start new things with hopes for the best, and that was the spirit here. But I couldn't help but wonder. Would anyone show up? Subscribe? Or care?
You never really know until you try. So try we did. Head down, backside up, we jumped into the pool of the unknown and began to swim.
It was pretty clear from the beginning that we would not be swimming alone. Others of you jumped in on that first day, and in the more than 700 days that have followed. We long ago exceeded our wildest expectations.
The most satisfying surprise is the community you have come here to build. I may be biased, but I think the thoughtfulness, empathy, and insight you share in your comments are unparalleled online.
The proportion of you who open our emails, who share them with others, who write in that you use them to spark conversation with friends and family, fuels my determination to keep going. Most of you who started with us at the beginning are still here. You have welcomed new members with open hearts.
I hope Steady can keep growing. I love how many people seem to have found a home here. I love seeing you share your perspectives with each other. I love learning about how other people — all of you — conceive of the notion of “steady.” I am learning from you. And at my age and stage in life, I know this is a precious privilege.
The diversity of backgrounds and life experiences in this community is a testimony to the power and strength of democracy, in the United States and around the world. We can come together as a pluralistic community. We can debate ideas with respect and nuance. We can find common ground. And we can disagree without being disagreeable.
It may sound corny, but I love what Steady has become.
And here, if you will excuse me, comes that gentle sales pitch. If you are a paid subscriber, please consider renewing. If you are a free subscriber, value what we’re doing here, and can afford a paid subscription, please also consider doing so. But this is the most important message of this paragraph. If you love what we’re doing, and money is tight, please stick with the free membership. Thanks to our paid subscribers, we will continue to keep most of our content free and open. This is a new model for journalism, and I hope our example can prove it works for others.
With that behind us, I would love to hear from you in the comments section about the year ahead. Is there something you want more of? Less of? Are there certain topics you want us to cover? Is there a new feature you would like us to consider? If you just want to say what you like, that’s fine, too.
We see ourselves as just one part of a community of many voices. We may help start conversations, but we never want to be the final word.
None of us can know what the next year will bring, but I know that whatever comes, we are stronger because we have each other.
Steady.
Note: If you are not already a member of the Steady community, please consider subscribing. We always appreciate you sharing our content with others and leaving your thoughts in the comments.
You asked! I would truly like to bring national attention to the issue of ageism. This year I will begin my ninth decade. I am more and more aware of not being “seen”, by family, neighbors, medical professionals, even local elected officials.
Because I am still relatively(!!) active, I haven’t borne the full burden of the prevailing dismissiveness. Those ageing in extended care facilities are so vulnerable with no real national interest in addressing these concerns.
Your voice is strong enough to begin the needed conversation...please speak to this issue.
You and Heather Cox Richardson are a "life ring" for the truth in these perilous time for our sacred constitutional republic and democratic ideals. I subscibe to you both as the best I have seen.