Healing the Heart of Democracy
Parker J. Palmer
Progress often began with ordinary people refusing to settle for the status quo,
with the stirrings of those whose hearts had been broken.
People who strove to close the gap between reality and longing —
their attempts were often riddled with defeat, and their hearts were shattered and broken.
But
not a heart broken into pieces, but a heart broken open
— the history of progress made by the desperate urgency of broken hearts.
Democracy is not something we have,
but something we do.
This won't only be a story about democracy and progress.
It will be about our everyday lives too..
