I just read a new book called Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times by Skye Perryman. It’s about reclaiming our power, fighting for freedom, and reimagining democracy.

Timely.

I really like the way she phrased a couple of actions, the first being “to achieve information sobriety.” Consuming news can be addictive. Hate-mongering can get you high. She didn’t use those exact words, but her call to sobriety is a great metaphor. Some people would be lost without their constant hits of sensationalism and meanness. It’s just so dopamine-producing! Therefore, we have a society full of angry information drunks. I wonder if that was the goal all along…

The other action that piqued my interest was “to practice tailgate accountability.” It took me a minute to figure that one out. She framed tailgate parties as times when people get together for fun and mutual support of their team. Nothing wrong with that. (Go Broncos!) But she also said we can get lax in settings like that. Mean jokes get a pass because they’re shared among friends. Mean social media memes are a great example. More dopamine! The author calls on us to cut that out.

I doubt that Skye Perryman is a boring goodie-goodie. I just think she sees the dangers of addiction and meanness, as “fun” as they are. They’re slippery slopes. 

“Be alert and of sober mind.” 1 Peter 5:8a