Thank you so much for the shout out Karl! Never thought I’d see my name in the same sentence as the legendary Vivienne Westwood, whom I LOVE. I learnt so many new things about her in this post. And her advice is, I think, spot on. Any small action to change something is actually a huge deal — and the ripple effect is bigger than we think. There’s a reason why they want us distracted and endlessly consuming - so that we forget we actually do have power to change things. Loved this piece and very grateful to be a part of Undividing! 🫶🏻
Cheers Bea, glad you liked it, and when I saw your work I thought how naturally it would into this weeks. Nice to have you here. And Viv! What a human! She truly inspires me every week.
Wow. That is great. We wring our hands about the saving 'the world'...and the answer is in our neighbourhood. I've been an activist all my life, but this really hit home. The 'Friendship Bench' started in Zimbabwe - grandmas trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy providing an empathetic ear to anyone who needs it, filling the void of psychological services, is something I'm keen to start in my local shopping mall. Gonna take some research and planning but this is just the push I needed! Thanks AGAIN, Karl!
Oh wow, I love that Friendship Bench idea. Are you writing a piece on that? I was planning to do one soon on different practices around the world that we could all learn from.
Yeah. I'm thinking of posting one about the importance of (deep) listening to each other. Probably early April. Happy to send some links...it's a model that's been replicated in the US and Europe. Not yet in Australia.
“You've got to start to love the world and know about the whole genius of the human race. We're amazing people.” - what a very powerful quote, something that deeply resonates with me. Also something we can easily lose site of amidst the division and chaos of modern living. This was a beautiful showcase of an incredible person. Thank you 🙏
The “fix what’s in front of you” takeaway is so simple but so powerful. We get caught up thinking change has to be massive, global, headline-worthy—but nah, it starts in your backyard. And that line about the guys ripping out a playground being the same ones trashing the planet? Brutal. And so true.
She totally blew away the room when she said that. It was like she pulled back the curtain. We all got it and understood it was true in the same moment.
Vivienne Westwood might have dressed punk (a bandwagon many clothing firms leapt onto) but she did not ‘invent punk’. I know because I am 68 and I was there.
It was the Winter of Discontent, a Tory Government and a bin strike that started it all off. Young people wore a black bin liner over their clothes. They were fed up with the status quo (and the Status Quo), kids bought guitars and, in a rejection of the music industry, started to play music that wasn’t pretty. Mostly they couldn’t play either. That was the point.
Punk was the most amazing time to be a young woman too. You just didn’t have to be nice anymore, wear stupid flowery dresses or get called ‘my lady’ by patriarchal boyfriends. You could spit and swear, drink pints of beer and have your hair really short. If you wanted to. And only if you wanted to.
Pink was freedom, just for a few years, until the dead hand of capitalism closed around it. The ‘pirate’ movement? Give me a break….
Hey there Helen. I wish I'd been there to see it like you. Thanks for addition, that punk was something coming up out of the street culture at the time. I always wondered what Vivienne had picked up on that was around her. I guess she and Malcolm and the band gave punk the megaphone. I still the pirates idea is interesting in a way that it's about, "let's learn from each other." That's still true to today. More than ever.
Great stuff, as always. All my friends in non-profit/charity tell me to volunteer and act locally. That’s how it’s done- we start with our own communities :)
Great stuff, Karl. I really enjoyed this read. I was not familiar with Vivienne beyond her name and styles. I had no idea she was so inspiring. Thanks for sharing and keep undividing!
This was so inspiring. I often look for new female archetypes who inspire me and now she is one of them. Powerful, loving, wise.
I lived in the East Village in the 1980's and punk was everywhere. Close to St. Mark's Place and a frequent visitor to CBGB's I feel like this post brought it full circle. My combat boots, my thrift shop hippie dresses, my stomping my feet with my best friend and claiming, We own these streets...
I was in it and didn't even know it. It was my neighborhood. Back then to me squatters, punk bars, etc.. was the norm. But you bring back the fond memory of a guy giving me his punked out leather jacket and when my friends gave me hugs, they knew to avoid the three spikes on the shoulders. I was practically wearing a weapon.
I personnally strongly advice that we need to educate and literate in Health and Medicine. Take Control of Your Health. Or others will do it for you...
Thank you so much for the shout out Karl! Never thought I’d see my name in the same sentence as the legendary Vivienne Westwood, whom I LOVE. I learnt so many new things about her in this post. And her advice is, I think, spot on. Any small action to change something is actually a huge deal — and the ripple effect is bigger than we think. There’s a reason why they want us distracted and endlessly consuming - so that we forget we actually do have power to change things. Loved this piece and very grateful to be a part of Undividing! 🫶🏻
Cheers Bea, glad you liked it, and when I saw your work I thought how naturally it would into this weeks. Nice to have you here. And Viv! What a human! She truly inspires me every week.
Wow. That is great. We wring our hands about the saving 'the world'...and the answer is in our neighbourhood. I've been an activist all my life, but this really hit home. The 'Friendship Bench' started in Zimbabwe - grandmas trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy providing an empathetic ear to anyone who needs it, filling the void of psychological services, is something I'm keen to start in my local shopping mall. Gonna take some research and planning but this is just the push I needed! Thanks AGAIN, Karl!
Oh wow, I love that Friendship Bench idea. Are you writing a piece on that? I was planning to do one soon on different practices around the world that we could all learn from.
Yeah. I'm thinking of posting one about the importance of (deep) listening to each other. Probably early April. Happy to send some links...it's a model that's been replicated in the US and Europe. Not yet in Australia.
“You've got to start to love the world and know about the whole genius of the human race. We're amazing people.” - what a very powerful quote, something that deeply resonates with me. Also something we can easily lose site of amidst the division and chaos of modern living. This was a beautiful showcase of an incredible person. Thank you 🙏
I love that quote, too. If you love it, you take care of it.
Thank you! Glad she landed with you like she does with me.
The “fix what’s in front of you” takeaway is so simple but so powerful. We get caught up thinking change has to be massive, global, headline-worthy—but nah, it starts in your backyard. And that line about the guys ripping out a playground being the same ones trashing the planet? Brutal. And so true.
She totally blew away the room when she said that. It was like she pulled back the curtain. We all got it and understood it was true in the same moment.
Vivienne Westwood might have dressed punk (a bandwagon many clothing firms leapt onto) but she did not ‘invent punk’. I know because I am 68 and I was there.
It was the Winter of Discontent, a Tory Government and a bin strike that started it all off. Young people wore a black bin liner over their clothes. They were fed up with the status quo (and the Status Quo), kids bought guitars and, in a rejection of the music industry, started to play music that wasn’t pretty. Mostly they couldn’t play either. That was the point.
Punk was the most amazing time to be a young woman too. You just didn’t have to be nice anymore, wear stupid flowery dresses or get called ‘my lady’ by patriarchal boyfriends. You could spit and swear, drink pints of beer and have your hair really short. If you wanted to. And only if you wanted to.
Pink was freedom, just for a few years, until the dead hand of capitalism closed around it. The ‘pirate’ movement? Give me a break….
Hey there Helen. I wish I'd been there to see it like you. Thanks for addition, that punk was something coming up out of the street culture at the time. I always wondered what Vivienne had picked up on that was around her. I guess she and Malcolm and the band gave punk the megaphone. I still the pirates idea is interesting in a way that it's about, "let's learn from each other." That's still true to today. More than ever.
There was a band called Adam and the Ants. They dressed as pirates and I think they were the first.
Grandmas Trained in Cognitive Therapy reads intrigueing
all I read here leads to another way of thinking that now means we do not have to fall under sway of labeling or other shackling
That it is Maggie.
Great stuff, as always. All my friends in non-profit/charity tell me to volunteer and act locally. That’s how it’s done- we start with our own communities :)
It's the best when you can give back in your own backyard and see the effects.
Great stuff, Karl. I really enjoyed this read. I was not familiar with Vivienne beyond her name and styles. I had no idea she was so inspiring. Thanks for sharing and keep undividing!
For sure Jeff, my pleasure mate.
This was so inspiring. I often look for new female archetypes who inspire me and now she is one of them. Powerful, loving, wise.
I lived in the East Village in the 1980's and punk was everywhere. Close to St. Mark's Place and a frequent visitor to CBGB's I feel like this post brought it full circle. My combat boots, my thrift shop hippie dresses, my stomping my feet with my best friend and claiming, We own these streets...
all back to Vivienne.
You were there! I was only reading about it in The Face and waiting till I was 20 so I could get to NYC and see it all.
Where did you grow up? Did you get to NYC?
I was in it and didn't even know it. It was my neighborhood. Back then to me squatters, punk bars, etc.. was the norm. But you bring back the fond memory of a guy giving me his punked out leather jacket and when my friends gave me hugs, they knew to avoid the three spikes on the shoulders. I was practically wearing a weapon.
Thank you, again, for the inspiration.
Bravo !!! 👏👏
I personnally strongly advice that we need to educate and literate in Health and Medicine. Take Control of Your Health. Or others will do it for you...