When you’re facing hardship, how do you choose whether to accept or resist? How do you cope when you know that resisting won’t change things? And how do you learn to live with that voice in your head, the one that hisses, “this just isn’t fair”? In this episode, host Lucy Kalanithi is joined by progressive activist Ady Barkan, who is living with ALS, and his wife, English professor Rachael King. Ady founded the organization Be A Hero.
Lucy Kalanithi, Ady Barkan and Rachael King explore resistance and acceptance in the face of struggle – and how to choose between them.
Curious about the poem you heard today? Read A Brave and Startling Truth by Maya Angelou.
Find Be A Hero, the organization fighting for progressive policy founded by Ady Barkan and Liz Jaff, at https://beaherofund.com/.
Ady’s memoir is Eyes to the Wind. You can also check out Not Going Quietly, an upcoming feature film about Ady, Rachael, Be A Hero and the people’s movement for universal healthcare.
Follow Ady Barkan and Rachael King on Twitter at @AdyBarkan and @rachael_scar.
Pema Chödrön’s “When Things Fall Apart” is here.
Gravity is produced by Wonder Media Network. Original music by Rachel Wardell. Rekha Murthy is our editor. Our executive producer is Jenny Kaplan.
For more on why we’re doing what we're doing, check us out on Instagram and on Twitter. Find Lucy on Twitter at @rocketgirlmd.