There are so many lessons I could list, including his insistence on lists.
But I will focus on just one. Dan is committed to continuous learning and brings a rigorous spirit of inquiry to the world. It was telling that in his roster of recommended top 25 books, he particularly emphasized two, both of which are very recent and very cutting edge: Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World and Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos. One lifts up the wisdom and essential knowledge of indigenous communities in this time of planetary crisis. The other gives a compelling analysis of our current multi-pronged plight (climate chaos, mass extinction, rising conflict, nuclear threats, failing democracies, grotesque inequality) and points to the need to prepare, particularly through building communities of mutual support and action.
Dan models what it is to be awake, to bring his analysis and constant questioning into alignment with his actions and organizing. He never stops searching. I love that about Dan, as I love so much more about him. And of course, he is a consummate flirt.
And finally, in the midst of it all – being a teacher, organizer, analyst, convener, rebel, revolutionary, father, husband, friend, poet – Dan knows how to lead while also being a bottlewasher on the line. I love him.
