October 3 update

Dear friends,

This morning’s visit with Jacob featured laughter, pathos, irony, and lots of talk about horticulture. Jacob demonstrated his trademark equanimity, offering a range of pithy insights which I quote below. He also looked a little bit drained, which initially caused me some concern. However, it turns out that his energy level was low for a good reason, which I will explain.

Before doing that, I want to acknowledge the end of the road for the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2026 season. Nestled in that story was a gem of spiritual presence that reminded me of Jacob’s handling of the hand that he has been dealt. Namely, Bryce Harper was interviewed after he bounced back from a potentially devastating error in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series, by immediately hitting a game-tying home run. He shared that he thought of his 7-year-old son, and reflected on what kind of parenting advice he might offer if his son was in that situation. That helped him to clear his mind, by “flushing” the mistake immediately, and focusing on the present. In my mind’s eye, I could see Jacob, head up and eyes wide open. Be Here Now.

Soon after he arrived in the visiting room, I offered to buy Jacob some Doritos or other junk food from the vending machines – which were stocked for the first time in our experience – but he said no, thanks. “Tomorrow I am going to the inaugural sweat lodge ceremony. I am fasting today in preparation for it. Normally only indigenous people participate, but I was invited because I helped build the lodge.” !?! Wow, what an honor.

Jacob’s fasting helped to explain why he did not look quite as chipper as he has on previous visits. Nonetheless, he remained alert and engaged throughout our 2.5-hour visit. He shared about his recent activities, and we brought him up-to-speed on life on the Outside. I had brought with me two index cards and a 4-color pen, in anticipation of capturing whatever sagacious morsels might emerge from Jacob. I am so glad I did! All four sides of those cards got covered with my scribbled notes. Here are some of the highlights:

• Beth asked Jacob a series of curious questions about soil, seeds, watering, and vegetable starts. He answered all of them with a relaxed authority. He said, “I do hydroponics in the mornings and work in the field in the early afternoon. It’s hot in the field in the afternoon, but it’s even hotter in the greenhouse. There’s a lot happening.” As I listened to Jacob describing his activities, he sounded completely engaged with the minutiae of a complex system.

• “This week was a huge week. We re-did the whole main garden, which is 40’ x 100’. [That’s 1/10^th of an acre, by the way.] We ploughed it with our John Deere tractor. This place has a weird mix of new equipment and very old technology.”

• “Several of the people in Horticulture have children who are my age.” He shared this tidbit, implicitly acknowledging that he occupies the role of surrogate child for many of his co-workers. I am grateful that he has these surrogate parents right there with him on the Inside.

• Jacob is getting to know lots of people at many places across the political and socio-cultural spectrums. He is noticing that his trust in people has no bearing whatsoever on their politics. “The left/right binary breaks down pretty fast.”

• Reflecting on whom he trusts on the Inside, and how he discerns whom to trust, Jacob said, “I’d rather trust someone and have my trust broken, than not trust at all.”

• Jacob continues to be deeply grateful to receive letters from people around the United States, and from multiple other countries. In addition to that, he is receiving a subscription to “America’s Finest News Source.” “The Onion has arrived! Hooray!”

Jacob wrote to me earlier this week: “It's wonderful to hear that folks got a kick out of my reading list. I'll hope to share more about everything in the big letter.” That “big letter” is Jacob’s “second public letter from Sheridan.” I will be sending it out to people later this weekend as a password-protected document, with a request that it not be shared electronically nor posted anywhere. If you are reading this blog post and do not receive Jacob’s big letter via email, I invite you to send me an email requesting a copy.

On the Outside, I have been connecting with multiple people who are eager to explore ways to leverage Jacob’s situation to stimulate conversations about challenging topics that Quakers and other progressives are struggling to discuss. I have recently Zoomed with teachers at a Friends school who are considering using the Thee Quaker Podcast and Portland Mercury article as part of their curriculum for inviting high school students to discern how people of conscience can respond to some of the unconscionable laws and policies being enacted right now in our country. Outside of the USA, I heard from a person who is part of a network of American Quakers in Europe who are looking for ways to respond to the rising tide of authoritarianism in the USA. I look forward to Zooming with them shortly after Election Day.

In the midst of this brutal and anxious political season, an email conversation with an old friend reminded me to seek comfort in the Mary Oliver documentary: “Saved by the Beauty of the World.” Well, dear reader, on a dark and stormy night I gave myself permission to watch it. And while I have your attention, I want to tell you that I had a transcendent experience watching it. It was an hour and a half of my life that transported me into that space beyond time: Eternity.

An old friend wrote to me: “What I would be interested in reading about (next) is how you stay centered. How are you flipping this horrible hand you’ve been dealt into a positive?” I hope that this blog post begins to answer that question. These posts are a primary focal point of some of my best energy these days. They keep me focused on the present while remaining future-oriented. In that way, they are a deeply spiritual practice for me. I trust Bryce Harper would understand.

If you would like to see some of Jacob’s recent sketches, click here to see the following drawings:

1)    Jacob’s “Letter Box” made with no fasteners to hold and organize his incoming mail

2)    Jacob’s remembered specifications for building geodesic domes

3)    Jacob’s grass/straw hat design schematic

4)    Jacob’s sketch imagining the hydroponic beds and water circuitry in the green house

5)    Jacob’s sketch (there exists a woven model) for helping the native folks build a sweat lodge without having to use cloth ties.

6)    Jacob’s sketch of the big 30ft x 60ft greenhouse frame being built within sight of his dormitory bunk!