Because I work in the cross-partisan democracy reform field, and especially because my work focuses on bridging America’s political and social divides, many colleagues, friends, and family members have asked me how I am thinking and feeling about our present moment.

Seven years ago, when I quit my job in the private sector to “defend democracy,” without really knowing yet what that meant, it felt important to be vocal about why I was upending my career and plunging into the professional unknown. I wanted to defend my decision (including to myself), while simultaneously offering validation to others around me who might feel similarly called.