Check If It Has A Soul

February Week 1, 2026

Sunday, 2/1/26

Yesterday we had the pleasure of attending my son’s junior high All-county band concert. When we walked into the auditorium at FDR high school in Hyde Park, an organist was playing, and it was so delightful to listen while we were finding our family and chatting with other parents. What a treat to hear an organist at a high school!

The concert was opened by a few speeches from music association officers, followed by remarks from a local official— I believe the town supervisor. His remarks were incredible— literary, descriptive, powerful. He spoke about band and orchestra the way I might speak of it after almost forty years as a teacher and performer. The speech centered on the ways that individualism and community balance each other through listening and harmonizing. It was inspiring and passionate and everything I could’ve hoped to hear from a non-music person introducing the concert.

And the entire time all I could think was, “This is almost certainly written by A.I.”

I tried to question my assumption. Why was I so sure that it was A.I.? I landed on the speech’s delivery. The words were powerful, but there was little emphasis from the speaker. He also didn’t seem to know whether he was standing next to an orchestra or a band while he spoke. It was an insider’s perspective delivered in an outsider’s persona. And honestly, it just sounded like A.I.

Then I asked myself, “Does it matter to me that this man used A.I. to write his speech?” He’s not being paid for this event. It’s not something that will get him re-elected. And he had good intentions to deliver a solid, appropriate speech.

But yes, it still mattered to me. Because the words didn’t have anything behind it if the person didn’t write them. It was a soulless way to introduce music. And music is the opposite of soulless.

The thing that bothered me most was that I had to even think about A.I. in this moment. The fact that it exists requires me to question literally everything I see on the internet and events like this in the real world. I have to keep asking myself, is this real?

Does it have a soul?

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash

Monday, 2/2/26

Last week I mentioned a book I was reading, HAVING IT ALL: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours by Corrine Low. She’s an economist and I appreciate the economic studies she’s done on women’s work-life balance and her data-driven conclusions. However, there’s a strong vibe in the book that suggests full independence from men, and a lot of side comments in the vein of “OMG, men never help out with x, y, and z, am I right?” This is where she loses me.

I’m a feminist, and I see the patriarchy. I see the water we’re swimming in, and I hate it. I work to change it, and I work on the other people in my life, including men, to see and change the systems that keep women from living the types of full, thriving lives that are more easily led by men. But. I don’t believe in making generalized “men” the enemy. I don’t believe in making anyone the enemy, especially in a diverse democratic society. Specific men and women may need to be excised from each other’s lives based on their specific behaviors. But castigating all men for the sake of dismantling the patriarchy ignores the fact that we are all needed to uphold societal structures— not just the bad ones, but the good ones, too. We all need each other.

Tuesday, 2/3/26

In this midpoint of winter, I’m finding myself feeling a bit mentally removed from my daily routine and even my body, noticing things that I then wonder about and research. Why do I get a feeling of stress at this point in my week? Why do I wake up in the middle of the night on these nights, but not these? The Menopause Professor has been helping me think through some of this, but most of it is just noticing and adjusting. Remembering, on a cellular level, that I must take care of myself first if I want to have the resources to take care of others.

Wednesday, 2/4/26

Two problems I thought were solved came back this week: an issue with the washing machine, and the fan on my laptop that keeps running hot, requiring me to shut it down frequently. I’ve tried things (well, my husband tried things for the washer) and thought they worked. Then the same problem came back. Sigh. There’s probably some deeper meaning I can extract from this— that your problems never magically disappear (unless you’re a billionaire), or that I should be grateful my problems are with things and not people— but maybe I’m tired of extracting meaning and today I’m just annoyed. That’s ok, right?

Thursday, 2/5/26

I’m circling back A.I. here because it’s been on my mind a lot this week— enough so that my son told me I need to stop getting mad about it. “It’s here to stay, Mom, you need to accept it,” he said.

And I know he’s right, because it feels more and more like I’m being forced into a relationship with it. It’s on my phone, in my Google search, summarizing my damn emails.

(Me screaming at the top of my lungs): “I don’t want to have a relationship with a soulless thing.”

Although I have to admit that I am pleased by the way A.I. summarizes “Good Character, written by Leanne Rose Sowul” when you Google it. It says that Good Character is designed to:

• Reflect on personal values and “what truly matters”.

• Balance hope with pragmatism in a difficult world.

• Explore character development from a creative writing perspective.

• Gain insights into raising children with strong character.

I mean, nice move, Gemini. But I still don’t want a relationship with you.

Some Good Actions, If You’re Able, Inspired by Today’s Post

Consider how you feel about A.I. What is it useful for? Where do you draw your personal line on using it? Should it be used to produce art, books, movies, music? It’s helpful to know where your boundaries are in any relationship, and it does seem like we’re going to have to be in relationship with chatbots and more.

And maybe donate money to analog causes, like giving instruments to children or planting trees.

Stuff You Might Like To Know

I’m reading 101 DAYS by Kamala Harris and it’s making my heart hurt for what could have been. She’s gotten some criticism for things she said in the book, but to me it reads as authentic and heartfelt. Also, she’s a damn good writer. (And I KNEW Pete Buttigieg was her top pick for VP!)

I’m listening to my 1983 playlist. If you’ve been keeping track, I’ve been listening to pop hits from every year of my birth. I haven’t gotten very far because my daughter keeps requesting K-Pop Demon Hunters, but I can tell you that 1981 was a terrible year for music, 1982 had some good hits and some real head-scratchers, and so far 1983 is one banger after another.

Hey, everyone: if you made it to the end, thank you. You’re one of the good ones, and I’d love to hear what you think. To help our community grow, please comment and share with others.

Keep hoping. Keep caring. Keep trying.