I hope you are well! It has been a while since I’ve shared an update, and as we near my 38th birthday (on August 2nd!) — along with the two-year anniversary of the completion of my treatment for cancer and the beginning of a long recovery journey — I wanted to reach out with a few kind words and good tidings of what’s to come.
NEW! You can now view this post as a fun video with extra images and bonus content that includes breaking news!
I hope your springtimes are progressing in vivid color, and that your summer is shaping up to be a great one. I just wanted to share with my loved ones out there a couple of pieces of good news.
First: My MRI scan a couple of weeks ago yielded another negative result, showing no evidence of disease and further documenting my complete remission! I welcome and celebrate the clean bill of health!
2022 has been an amazing, humbling, sweet year — one of physical rehabilitation, family connection, spiritual expansion, celebration of life, and working to create a rich, new definition of “normal” after last year’s remarkable struggles and powerful lessons. It was also a year replete with its own challenges and surprises — but are these not essential aspects of the privilege of being alive?
What can we do but smile and give thanks for it all?
After a couple of really challenging years — a dance with cancer that included major surgery, brutal chemotherapy, and months of uncertainty with irregular scans ever-trending in the right direction but stopping just short of the longed-for resolution of “complete remission” — it finally happened.
I went in this November for another CT scan… and at long last...
It was NEGATIVE!
…If you caught my last post, you saw that I just celebrated my 37th birthday (while on an overnight train in northern Finland, no less)! Over the next few weeks, as I settle back into life at home, I’ll be integrating my experience and sharing stories and media from the road (to augment the brief photo chronicles I’ve already shared on Instagram and Facebook).
For now, though — as I pivot somewhat abruptly to Back-to-School Mode — I wanted to take the opportunity to share a video of a very special occasion that took place earlier this summer.
I don’t know that I decided to become a teacher so much as I was born one. What inspired me to deepen my teaching, though, was becoming a father. As my innate provider mechanism kicked in, I began looking for opportunities to serve in a meaningful way while also being the best father I could be. Teaching and parenting are such wonderfully complementary occupations!
This fall at Quest Forward Academy Santa Rosa, Exploration Phase students have spent the bulk of their English and Social Science classes exploring themes related to the natural world. These classes included a diverse array of topics, from westward expansion and indigenous land management to the literature of Jack London and the contemporary film Gattaca. Like other Quest Forward classrooms, students applied their knowledge with relevant and remarkable hands-on experiences.
Nils Palsson participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on May 11, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Nils Palsson's responses follow below.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1) Getting money out of politics and reclaiming our democracy.
2) Ensuring top-quality education, universal health care and affordable housing for all.
3) Bold leadership on the crises of climate change, wealth inequality and racial injustice. Achieving social, racial, environmental and economic justice for all.
The Bohemian's recent "Feel the Turn" article on Palsson, which generated significant buzz throughout the North Bay, was recently re-published in Pacific Sun's Upfront section.
Here's the article, in case you missed it…
Palsson has joined with Florida independent candidate for Congress Tim Canova and over 60 other candidates for federal office in signing a candidate contract committing these public servants to taking concrete action to eliminate corruption and create a more transparent and accountable government, including overturning Citizens United and linking Congressional salary to the median household income in America.
Nils was recently featured in a wonderful hour-long interview on Uphill Media’s #WeThePeople program, which introduces candidates to the voting public. This was an enjoyable experience, and it’s a great watch! Check it out here.
On May 9th, Nils was honored with an opportunity to join DJ Billy on Vallejo's own Ozcat Radio, KZCT 89.5FM for an excellent interview. Here's the video! The interview, which aired live on Ozcat, was also streamed on Facebook Live. Any questions or feedback? Feel free to leave a comment or contact me any time!
This campaign is honored to have been endorsed by a growing number of local civic groups, including Our Revolution North Bay and Our Revolution West Marin. Palsson, an elected Bernie Sanders Delegate in 2016, is running on a platform of social, racial, environmental and economic justice for ALL.
Independent Nils Palsson from California joins the hundreds of candidates across the nation who have proudly proclaimed they're #NotForSale by signing the American Promise Candidate Pledge. A 28th Amendment is an issue every candidate, regardless of political party, should be behind. Palsson: “Real integrity means standing with out people and planet — not huge corporations and their lobbyists. This campaign accepts NO money from corporate special interests. I stand with our families and communities. Let’s take back Congress!”
