Author: Lucy Moore

Letter to Elon on Friendship and Fly Swatters

Lucy Moore

April 14, 2025

I bought a flyswatter. You’ll see why.

Dear Elon –

I have friends who think I’m crazy to be writing to you. Some say “You should be more careful. You might end up in jail!” I mean, really! You would never lock up a law-aiding citizen just for exercising free speech, would you? I tell them that could never happen, and they go away muttering “she’s lost it.” Do you have friends who think you’re crazy? Or maybe the first question should be “Do you have friends?” I’ve never seen a photo of you with pals, just playing pickle ball, or sitting down around a bowl of kale chips and hummus, or taking a nature walk together through a botanical garden.

This week I focused my 5-things on friendships – old, new and potential. We need each other in these stressful times, but if we are putting all our energy into protests, letters to the editor, calls to congress, keeping up with the latest news, we can find ourselves isolated and exhausted, right? So here are my 5 things from last week, and I must say, I feel very refreshed and ready to resist with new zeal.

  1. I met with a group of mediator friends to compare notes on how to make peace when people are so divided and whether we should all hang up our mediator hats, and take to the streets. It was a great conversation. I think you would have been very interested in how passionate we were. Wish you could have been a fly on the wall.
  2. I bought a new fly swatter – oops, don’t get me wrong. This has no connection to your being a fly on the wall. Just an unfortunate juxtaposition. Fly season is here and I need to be prepared to smash those pesky little things that seem to be everywhere, buzzing nonsense and spreading evil germs.
  3. I met on zoom with a young woman that I am going to mentor in mediation. I have mentored many students and those looking to change careers and each conversation leaves me full of new ideas and optimism about the future of the profession. Mentoring is really a two-way proposition, don’t you agree? Even we so-called experts have much to learn, if we can just listen.
  4. I am not technically savvy, but I tried to tidy up my Facebook page and my 5-things-i-did group page. I have a lot of friends, some of them I actually know, and many of them are enjoying my letters and postcards to you. They send me photos of what they write you, so I know you are getting more and more mail from the 5-things movement, and that makes me so happy. I wonder where you are keeping them all, not in a circular file, I hope.
  5. I took a beautiful walk with my husband up a creek bed near our house. There were huge Ponderosas, fantastic rock formations, and a cloudless, bright blue sky. I always love to see the generations of trees – the old majestic ones high above the rest, the middle-aged ones coming on strong, the teenagers bursting with hope and energy, and the toddlers, sprouting needles, new and shiny.  We met others enjoying the day, some with walking sticks, some with kids, some with dogs, some with all three. We were all friends for that moment in time and space.

Excuse my poetic detour!  I know you want a short, concise report of the five things I did, but some weeks it’s more complicated, more human… and more important.

Next week, I’ll be back to business, I promise!

Have a nice day,

Lucy

And my companion postcard:

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Toothpaste and Optimism

Lucy Moore

I came home yesterday to find this four-pack of toothpaste on the kitchen table, alongside the padded envelope it came in. My husband explained that local stores didn’t carry this particular one that he likes and so he ordered it online, and this is how it came, in a four-pack. These are not small tubes.

“That is the most optimistic thing I’ve seen in a long time,” I declared.

“You mean like it assumes that I’ll live that long?” He asked, adding “or that if I do, I’ll still have teeth by then?”

“Yes, and that the country will last that long, and the planet, for that matter, and that even if we somehow hang on, we’ll be thinking about toothpaste.”

He was unmoved, and went to squirrel away his supply in the bathroom closet.

I realized how pessimistic I am. It is there under layers of denial, fear, anger and numbness. It is there under a spunky veneer of carrying on and doing normal things, like planting tulip bulbs for seasons to come, freezing leftover green chile stew for next winter, mentoring a young person for a bright future, renewing a library card, having coffee with a friend, going to a grandchild’s graduation from high school. These are things I never questioned. They are what we do in normal times when we assume the future, although unknown, will be more or less what we’ve experienced to date. But now, I am aware that in each of these things there is fragility and uncertainty. I am wistful, anticipating such political, economic and climatic upheaval that the ordinary will be threatened and may not survive. I’m filled with nostalgia for what I still have but may lose in the months and years to come.

And, so I celebrate my husband and his more-than-a-lifetime supply of toothpaste. Let’s go for it. Along with my premature nostalgia and forecasts of doom, let’s imagine that yes, those tulips will come up in a sunny, peaceful community; and yes, we will thaw out that stew and remember a springtime of fear that is now past; and yes, my young mentee will be marching ahead, boldly on a career path that will be good for her and for all of us; and yes, the doors of the library will still open at 9 and close at 6; and yes, I will have coffee with a friend who chose not to move to Canada; and yes, that grandchild will be finding herself, just as I did, with a long road of opportunity and challenge ahead.  

The future is unknown, but let’s give optimism a chance.

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A Tip on Cultural Sensitivity for Elon

Lucy Moore

April 6, 2025

Dear Elon –

Oh, gosh, I really wish you had consulted with me before going to Wisconsin last week. I know some of those folks from the nation’s dairyland, and they do NOT take kindly to outsiders wearing the sacred Cheese Head Hat inappropriately. Of course, it is difficult to know just how to behave in a foreign culture (in this case, proud, hardworking, midwestern non-billionaires), but I have found that it always pays to spend a little time with local folks and learn a bit about them, their values, their customs, their culture. Oops, have I stepped in it again – using one of those banned words? So sorry if “culture” is on that list and I have triggered you. Try taking a deep breath or two, and think of something beautiful like a protest of 30,000 energetic Americans, or a hungry child diving into a nice nutritious meal, or a parent getting an email saying they have their job back…well, you may have your own pleasant thoughts, but those are some of mine.  

Turning to my 5-things-I-did this week, it was a whirlwind of activity:

  1. I was in Washington DC on April 5, but missed the rally because I was working that day with a group of conflict resolution graduate students. There were six of us experienced practitioners and it really gave us hope to spend time with the younger generation, all of us together reflecting on our role as mediators and the challenges of making peace in these times. It was inspiring for everyone, and deep friendships were forged in just a few hours. A footnote: I’m getting tired of apologizing for my vocabulary which seems to be loaded with trigger words. Just in this paragraph alone I suspect there are four: peace, conflict, resolution and mediator. And if I come up with substitute words (like calm, differences, solve, helper?), I’m sure we will end up playing whack-a-mole. So, I suggest a truce…or maybe whack-a-mole is a favorite pastime of yours?  
  2. I watched some of Cory Booker’s 25+ hour phenomenal performance on the state of our country. I was amazed by his stamina, passion and commitment to say what we need to hear. I was inspired to work harder and I called his office to thank him. He is such a kind, caring, generous human being — don’t you think he has the makings of a great leader?
  3. I decided to look for the little guys – groups doing great work that have been hit hard by the loss of federal funding – and I found the Borderlands Restoration Network in Arizona. They are committed to restoring, rebuilding, and reconnecting the land, the resources, and the communities along our southern border. They have a gorgeous website. Just makes you want to reach out and give a helping hand…which I did! It just takes a little money to let them know you’re on their side. Or, it could be a lot of money (hint, hint) to really make a difference. www.borderlandsplants.org
  4. I delivered blank postcards to someone who had seen the 5-things-I-did project online and wanted to join the fun. I think he might let his two young sons write cards, so watch out for those. I bet they will be full of heart and spunk!
  5. I posted on substack, bluesky and Facebook, urging others to join the -5-things-I-did movement. It’s fun to see the numbers growing of people who share their 5-things each week.

Aren’t you proud of what you started? I am always very careful to give you credit for the great idea of doing 5 good things each week. You’re kind of like a godfather to us!

OK, gotta run. See you next week, and have a nice day!

Lucy

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Elon meets Mr. Rogers and Chef Andrés

Lucy Moore

March 30, 2025

Dear Elon –

It has been a wild week! So many great opportunities to do good. It seems as if they are multiplying exponentially! And, who do we have to thank for this abundance of places to put our energy, our money and our enthusiasm? You! I know I speak for many when I say you have inspired us to be dynamos of good work. Just seeing your picture in the paper, or a clip on TV, sends me running to my checkbook or to speed dial congress.  

But before I list my 5 things for the week, I have a suggestion. It’s about your speech impediment. You must be self-conscious about your starts and stops and general inarticulate way of expressing yourself. It is critical that all who hear you really understand what you are saying. Dare I say, our lives depend on it! A friend has benefited by joining Toastmasters. I’m sure there’s one near you, and I think you would enjoy working on your speech problems in a group of sympathetic companions. And when I saw their 4 principles — integrity, respect, service, and excellence — on their website, I knew it was just where you belonged.

I hope I haven’t offended you. I know your ego is a little fragile, but after these weeks of correspondence surely we can be honest with each other. I would be thrilled to hear any suggestions you have for me.

Now – sorry to make you wait! – here are the “5 things I did last week.”

  1. Banned books: I bought three of my favorites to send to send to a library in another state, since my state doesn’t ban books. The authors are J.D. Salinger, Toni Morrison, and Roald Dahl. Can you believe that “James and the Giant Peach” is a banned book? Could it be some strange fear of fruit?
  2. World Central Kitchen: When I heard about that terrible earthquake in Myanmar, I immediately thought of World Central Kitchen. Chef José Andrés and his crew show up all over the world when there is a disaster, and sure enough they are already there feeding people. I donated and bought a few supplies for them, especially now that the government seems to be out of the “helping others business.” Such a foolish decision, don’t you agree?
  3. AFSA: And since I had my checkbook out, I wrote a check to the American Foreign Service Association, the group that is fighting for our foreign service workers – USAID and others – who do so much throughout the world, feeding starving children, vaccinating, responding to natural disasters, supporting local health and social service efforts, helping preserve the environment, and generally being good neighbors. Excuse the digression, but speaking of good neighbors, I’m a big Mr. Rogers fan. Maybe growing up in South Africa you didn’t see his TV show. He taught kids how to be kind, generous, helpful adults. A shame you missed him.
  4. Call congress:  I use (202) 225-3121 for the House and (202) 224-3121 for the Senate. I’m thinking there are so many calls coming in that they probably need to hire more operators….maybe some of the fired federal employees could get jobs there. I like to think all of us callers are invigorating the job market.
  5. “5-things-I-did” gathering. Fifteen of us got together to write postcards, and share ideas for things to do. It was very fun. Snacks were plentiful. Wine flowed. Wished you could have been there.

OK, I’ve taken enough of your time. You have really changed my life, Elon. I feel empowered, as they say. I think I could lead a revolution!

Have a nice day,

Lucy

Happy World Central Kitchen recipient
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Letter to Elon #5

Lucy Moore

March 25, 2025

Dear Elon

Such exciting news! I know you will be very pleased – and impressed, I hope. Last night was the first meeting of the “5-things-i-did” group. My friends teased me, saying that you were pulling up in front of the house in your Tesla, that you were actually going to join us. I was pretty sure it couldn’t be true, but I also couldn’t help but glance out the window just in case. I know how busy you are, but maybe you’ll take a swing through some western states and we can meet. I have some important messages from folks in the southwest that I’d love to pass on to you.

Anyway, back to the gathering last night. Fifteen like-minded people came to write postcards and talk about all the great “5-things” they did last week. Just think, 5 things x 15  people = 75 things! And that’s just in one week from one little group out here in the sticks. I know there are other “5-things-i-did” groups springing up all over. You better get a bigger inbox for the avalanche of postcards you’ll be getting.

I shared all the things I’ve done since you inspired me, and everyone added to the list. We now have dozens of places to put our money, our energy and our support to be sure that we can hang onto our democracy. We’ll be meeting again in a month to talk about more things we can do. I would love to put one of my postcards on a billboard on the interstate, giving you credit for the idea of course. Wouldn’t that be fabulous? You’re probably sick of hearing it by now, but I am forever grateful for your genius idea to report five things we did each week.

And before I go, please take care of yourself. The recent pictures of you look a little pasty. I think I see bags under the eyes, and you don’t seem to be combing your hair in the morning. These can be serious signs of stress, depression and bad diet. Be sure to eat healthy. I’ve got a good tofu recipe I’ll pass on.

Have a nice day!

Lucy

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Letter to Elon #4

Lucy Moore

March 20, 2025

Dear Elon –

I’m getting rather fond of our correspondence, albeit rather one-sided. I wonder if you are seeing my letters. I mustn’t expect too much from someone as busy as you are. Every day in the paper I see where you have been doing something newsworthy. I wonder how you can be in so many places at once. I’m glad you’re not wearing your little son on your shoulders anymore – it could be quite dangerous for him with you darting in and out of doorways at such a rapid pace. Not to criticize your parenting, but those pictures really did disturb me. One bang to the forehead and you could lose a progeny, although I understand you have many more so maybe that’s not a worry for you.

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Elon Update

Lucy Moore

Hello Blog Friends —

I have been busy this month and I wanted to check in before my regular first of the month posting. Below are my weekly letters to Elon. I’ve gotten quite inspired, thanks to his actions, and am raising hell in my small way. Below are letters #2 and #3, also posted on Facebook and Bluesky.

Letter #2

Friday, March 7, 2025

Hi Elon –

It’s me again, Lucy. Before I list the five things I did this week, I just want to thank you again for the great idea. I never would have thought of it – documenting the good work that we do each week. It gives me much pleasure and I have heard from others that they are doing the same thing. You’ll be hearing from them, too, I’m sure. So, you see, you really started a movement!

  1. I wrote 40 postcards to voters in Wisconsin urging them to vote for Judge Susan Crawford. She is a wonderful candidate. You should get to know her.
  2. I contributed to VoteVets. It’s amazing how many groups there are doing terrific work. And they have T-shirts and stickers you might want to check out….well, maybe not the one that says “Fire Elon.” I know how sensitive you are.
  3. I sent a letter of apology to the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, DC. I’m sure you agree that President Zelensky was treated very disrespectfully. Do you have their address? It’s President Volodymyr Zelenski, Embassy of Ukraine, 3350 M Street NW.
  4. I was so embarrassed by the rude and disrespectful behavior of our leadership in the oval office, that I sent a critical letter to our president telling him so. I’m sure you’ll want to do the same. Or, better yet, you could just mention to him next time you see him how upset I am. I would appreciate that.
  5. And, I know you’ll be pleased with this last one. I went public with your “I Did 5 Things” concept. There are now people on Facebook and Bluesky signing up, embracing the idea, and spreading the word. You should be so proud!

OK, that’s it for this week. Again, thank you so much for your inspiration. I’ll be following you closely to see if there are other bits of genius I can act on.

Have a nice day!

Lucy

And letter# 3:

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5 Things I Did This Week

Lucy Moore

Dear Mr. Musk

I heard that you were asking people to list 5 things they did last week, and although I didn’t get a personal request from you the way so many did, I want to be a good citizen. So here are my 5 things. And I might add that I really appreciate your asking because it has cheered me up quite a bit to realize how productive I have been.

#1 – I went online and doubled my monthly contribution to Democracy Forward. I’m sure you’ve heard of them. They are filing dozens of lawsuits and are winning some. You like winners, so I’m sure you’ll understand my wanting to be on their team.

#2 – I sent a donation to Tomorrow’s Women, a wonderful non-profit committed to building relationships between young Palestinian and Israeli women who have experienced so much of the same violence and terror in their lives, and who want to break the chain of hate and retribution and find peace through friendship and understanding. This non-profit has lost one-third of its funding due to the loss of USAID support. Oops, now I’ve gone and used several bad words in this paragraph – women, peace, relationship, friendship, non-profit and the killer, USAID. I don’t mean to upset you, but please keep reading and I will try to redeem myself.

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The Peacemaker is not so Peaceful

Lucy Moore

I have spent over 40 years mediating disputes, small and large, local, regional and national, mostly about environmental and natural resource issues. I have loved being a peacemaker – not every minute, but most minutes. I never doubted that I was on the side of good, helping people find that elusive common ground. Surely, it’s good to bring people together, help them negotiate, compromise and find a mutually acceptable solution.  

So, how can it be that I no longer have an appetite for making peace, especially when we seem on the brink of war, civil or otherwise? This is how I see it:  The big issues are not to be mediated into a nice solution. No one should be asked to negotiate away their constitutional rights, their safety, their livelihood. The common ground is charred and barren. Today’s most critical conflicts need judicial and congressional action, and I am praying that the action is swift and just.

And where does that leave the former peacemaker? As I said last month, I am focusing on local needs, and I’m adding to the noise – sending money to causes I believe in, making phone calls to Washington to stop the madness, cheering on leaders who are speaking out. That’s all good, but the administration’s “move fast and break things” strategy — so destructive, here and abroad — has already touched me, my family members and close friends. Not only have I lost faith in peacemaking, I confess I am drawn to the dark side. Even from my position of privilege, I feel the anger and the fear, the helplessness, and I want to fight back. I have fantasies of taking revenge.

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You Can’t Stop Me

Lucy Moore

I suspect this will be short and sweet… or not so sweet, depending…

My post-election reaction was different from many of my friends, who were running around like Chicken Little, shouting the sky had fallen, the world was over, the impossible had happened, we all had to run, hide, or just keep shrieking until we were hoarse.

I was calm, not hysterical, not even shocked. I confess to muttering a lot, however, and this is what I heard bubbling from my core: “You can’t stop me,” over and over. Who was I talking to and what couldn’t be stopped? I was talking to the president-elect, and I was telling him that neither he nor his enforcers could stop me from doing what I do, from being who I am. I would continue working for what I believe in. I would keep up a flow of support for important causes. I would not be stopped from helping out locally in any small ways I could.

Self-care gurus advise not to take his threats, his promises personally, to try to disengage, remain sane, and focus on productive tasks. I understand that it is best not to fall for his predictions: the immediate deportation of millions, invading Panama, declaring war on civil rights, making the French fry the national vegetable… ok, I’m over the top, but you know what I mean. How easy it is to find your pulse racing in anger and disbelief, as words spew out of your mouth that would shock your grandma. On the other hand, to try to stay objective and disengage is asking too much.

So, I do take it personally, very personally. I imagine the president-elect trying to stop me, Lucy in Santa Fe, from being me, because he thinks I am exactly what’s wrong with this country – liberal, gullible, introspective, thoughtful, and caring. I like to picture him fuming, red-faced, tiny hands flailing the air. “How dare she, the little #$%&#%$*!? Wait til I get my hands on her scrawny neck!” But he would never find me because I would just be doing what I’ve always done, turning up the steam a bit, but keeping a low profile. I would be too little, too local to be a target. But there would be more and more of us, bubbling up, doing daily good in more and more creative ways.

And I have one more challenge for the president-elect. Not only can you not stop me, you can’t make me. You can’t make me do what you want. I will not turn on my immigrant neighbors and friends. I will not seize my neighbor’s backyard because I want their vegetable garden.  I will not spew hate and fear. You can’t make me be someone I’m not. So there.

My muttering response to the election has worked pretty well. I’m surprised how powerful I feel, in a quiet, conspiratorial way. I am hoping it will last.

May 2025 bring you power of your own kind.  

You can’t stop her (Lucy, age 5, Seattle)
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