Letters From The Deep End: Bury the Rage, Build the Bridge

First published on my Substack, https://plungesociety.substack.com, September 27, 2025

Two Fires, One Mission

I carry two fires.

One whispers: “Follow your dreams, there is hope.”

The other roars: “Enough! No more time for divisiveness. No more time for narrow-minded bullshit.”

Both fires live in me. Both are true. Both are needed.

This Year Began in Loss

I started 2025 in a hospital room, holding my mother’s hand. After 2½ years of being her 24/7 caregiver, I watched her leave this world in January. That season left deep marks in my soul that I’m still working through.

The weeks that followed were consumed with finalizing her estate. But somewhere inside that fog, I made a decision. I didn’t know exactly how, but I knew video would be a central part of my mission moving forward. So I bought a Lumix camera and a couple of other pieces of gear, which was a leap of faith that felt bigger than just buying equipment.

Choosing the Road

By April, I was on the road again.

I finished and released Messy, Wild & Free, a my memoir of reinvention and creating a life outside the lines. And more and more, I found myself pulled toward visual storytelling.

Not just writing, not just speaking, but capturing the pulse of humanity through film and story.

Signs Along the Way

Last week, I spent three days working with Legit Productions, the crew behind The Story of Art in America. Watching their cameramen (Angel Reyna & Stan Miskiewicz) at work lit a fire in me. I came away determined to sharpen my eye, to elevate my skills, and tell stories with visuals that could carry weight in this divided time.

Then, a few nights ago at Mama Jo’s Pies and Sweets, I filmed an acoustic duo who share my heart for healing America’s wounds. I could’ve used only my iPhone. Instead, I set up the Lumix too and shot the entire set. That’s gave me much needed experience and I was able to give the duo some quality video they could use to promote themselves.

That night, I realized this isn’t just about practice. It’s about resonance. About showing people their own beauty and humanity through the lens.

Why It Matters

Because let’s be real, much of the division tearing us apart these days has been manufactured. We’ve been split by race, politics, religion, and who we love. And not by accident, but on purpose.

And the harder truth? Far too many of us have been willing participants. We’ve taken the bait. We’ve let rage become the new trend. Outrage the new currency. Division the product being sold and we’re the ones buying it.

But rage can’t take us where we need to go. It burns hot, but it does not build. That’s why we have to bury the rage, bury the endless outrage that keeps us apart, and start building something better. Bridges instead of walls. Connection instead of suspicion. Humanity instead of click-bait headlines.

Because division cannot be bridged as long as we dehumanize each other. When we stop seeing each other as human, we stop seeing what we share.

The Two Fires

This is where the two fires meet.

One whispers: dream, hope, love.The other roars: no more division, no more bullshit, no more waiting for change to happen by accident.

We can be different and still care for one another. That should not be polarizing.

Love is bigger than all of it.Our shared humanity is bigger than all of it.

And if we want to make it back to each other, it won’t happen by accident.We have to do this on purpose.

Behind the Scenes

So here’s my truth in this moment:

My work now is about making a stand, bridging divides, and being a force of both hope and courage.

And here are a few ways I’ll do it:

• By learning new skills with my camera and editing software, so I can tell stories with more depth and beauty.

• By finding the right co-builder. Someone bold enough to step into this vision with me, and maybe a little crazy too (but in all the cool ways.)

• By securing a van. And this isn’t just a dream, but a high priority. A mobile place to live and work from, a base that lets me keep moving, filming, writing, and sharing. This alone would absolutely revolutionize my ability to do this work.

I wish I had already set myself up to have these things in place. But I didn’t. And so far, despite reaching out and trying to make connections, I’ve heard nothing back.

Still, I’m not deterred. If anything, I’m more determined than ever.

Because love is bigger than division. Our shared humanity is bigger than division. And

I believe with every fiber of my being that all of this is worth giving everything I have.

To bury the rage, and build the bridge.