Jonathan Meyer.

I had every intention this week of telling you a silly story about my friend Mike and me encountering small rodents and being absolutely petrified. I promise, it’s a good one. However, the state of the world felt like a more important thing to address right now than my admittedly pathetic fear of mice.

I want to be clear right away: I’m not here to get political in the newspaper. That has never been my intention, and it never will be. But I do think it goes without saying that we should be kind to one another. We should look after our neighbors. We should love each other, and we should cherish the people who make our two towns, and really, our entire surrounding community, the buzzing, eccentric place of culture that many of us are proud to call home.

A few weeks ago, I took part in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day activity at my college, specifically a peace-building workshop led by our campus chaplain. The premise was simple: share your ideas, listen before responding, and approach conversations with an open mind, especially when someone’s lived experiences are completely different from your own. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it was a meaningful reminder of how often we rush to judgment before we take the time to understand.

That lesson has stuck with me.

Don’t take my calm or measured words as an attempt to minimize what’s happening elsewhere in the country or around the world. What I’ve seen online recently has been genuinely disturbing. The way people treat other human beings, and the casual disregard for human life, is deeply unsettling.

My hope is that before we evaluate someone based on their political beliefs, nationality, immigration status, life choices, or perceived mistakes, we first see them for what they are: a human being who has a right to exist on this planet.

I’ll reiterate it again, this isn’t meant to be political. That’s not my role here, and it’s not in the job description. But it is worth reminding ourselves of our shared humanity as we all continue navigating this great human experiment together.

Things aren’t always positive. Life can feel heavy, complicated, and overwhelming at times. Still, I hope that in the coming week, you’re able to find a moment — or two — of kindness, connection, or optimism to help balance out everything else that’s been weighing on you.

Next week, if the world allows it, I might finally tell you about the rodents.

Until then, I’m Just Jonathan.