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Spiritual Exercises
Greetings Faithful Readers and New Friends. It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. Someone attacked me on Facebook and brought up a blog post and referred to this humble repository as a little read blog. It has had its ups downs for sure, but I am working it more into my plans and you will see regular content through 2026. It promises to be a momentous year and I want to develop this leadership.
I’ve struggled a bit this year which curbed my joy and my productivity and my relationships more than I am comfortable with. I’ve taken a moment to reassess and identify what I’m bringing to the situations that are causing me trouble. To that end I am committing myself to 4 weeks of stoic spiritual exercises.
Two years ago, after stepping away from the directorship of a nonprofit I put together and implemented 4 weeks of spiritual exercises I developed while on an epic road trip through the Southwest. It cleared my palate of the stress I had been carrying and helped me develop the focus to both write and publish a book but also address my obesity and overall lack of physical fitness.
Two years previously, after completing my third term on the Columbia, Missouri city council I had gone on an epic road trip and completed a bastardized version of the spiritual exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, bookended by Crowley’s Book 4 exercises from part 1 (basically Buddhist meditation).
For those exercises they are completed 2-5 times per day with prayers and readings and 5 senses meditations (think visualization but with all 5 senses). Its ordered around the life of Christ as moral teaching and also involves colloquys (imaginary conversations with God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary).
Most significantly it involves a conscience check. I used the time to work on my ego. Whenever I would note an egoistic thought I would touch my heart. Taking a month and focusing on the content of your heart and striving to be better is powerful. I see why the Jesuits do it annually.
I had tried them once before in the early 2000s while backpacking in Big Sur and was also profoundly impacted. That time I had powerful colloquys and I felt that if I continued down that path I would irrevocably break with consensus reality and that that was not being asked of me.
I wrapped them up after 2 1/2 weeks, called my dad and learned he was passing through Fresno and hitchhiked over to meet him for one last ride in the big rig. I correctly guessed it would be my last chance for a ride along with The Popster and it was. I’ve never regretted it.
The 2021 version wasn’t mystical at all. I’d had some of that during my COVID homelessness organizing and these exercises were more of an act of discipline and sober reflection. I “received” 2 messages: to get a job and live humbly and to make a small lifestyle change, which I did.
I came out of that a lot more keyed into philosophy and less interest in mystical experiences. I continued to deepen my study of stoicism and other ancient philosophies over the next couple of years.
I felt that I had gotten what I needed out of discipling myself to work humbly for a board of directors. I again thought a major life change should be road trip and spiritual exercises. I thought of reworking Ignatius’s system to stoicism.
I realized though that the stoics already had a system. Leaning heavily on Pierre Hadot’s What is Ancient Philosophy I organized them around the 4 virtues: Wisdom, Justice, Bravery, and Temperance.
I had morning mediations where I set goals for the day. Unread from primary texts: Epictetus’s Discourses and Enchiridion, Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, and Musonius Rufus and nothing else. I also memorized verses for each virtue and used the Ignatian conscience checks.
Wisdom involved a focus on study and reflection. Justice emphasized pro social interaction and philosophical conversation. Bravery involved physical exercise. Temperance involved vegetarianism and rigorous portion control.
I grew more focused and disciplined and kept that self motivation through writing The Practical Guide to Building a Better World. With setbacks and gear shifting I again am called to take on spiritual exercises. This time, no road trip but to be made real in my home environment.
I am also going to open them up to the public as a shared project with my community. I will be posting about it here and there will be an IRL version in Leavenworth and an online version available everywhere. More details to follow and I’ll be looking to start early in the new year.
If you are interested in my book it’s not too late to get it before Christmas direct from my publisher. https://breadandrosespress.com/products/the-practical-guide-to-building-a-better-world
Keep following for details as well as my traditional Holiday Letter coming soon.
Happy Interdependence Day
After a couple of hectic days at home we packed up and headed back to Columbia. We got a room at The Spa on Spruce, as the hot tub and backyard garden make it feel more like a vacation.
I did a podcast yesterday morning and had a campaign meeting with a Senate candidate yesterday. It’s exciting to open a second front on the war against authoritarianism with moving to fire a Kansas Senator who gutted Medicaid when he knows how devastating it will be to his constituents.
The podcast was heavy on CoreCivic, the troubled private prison we are working to keep from becoming an ICE detention facility back in Leavenworth. I’ll share the link when it comes out. Earlier in the week a story by the Marshall Project came out. The Guardian ran it so it was nice to get some national/international coverage. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/07/01/leavenworth-kansas-immigration-prison-fight
Today it was grocery shopping, hot tubbing, and off to the beach at Finger Lakes. Another family joined our picnic table while we were in the lake so we just made them part of our party. We’re going to catch fireworks tonight. We brought bikes to drive to the edge of traffic and park and ride in.
Tomorrow it’s a quarry lake party and a neighborhood festival. Sunday we make our way home. Things heat up at CoreCivic with the next hearing taking place at 10:00. Follow along for updates. Here’s a flyer on my book reading in CoMo. If you’re in the area you should come.
All Over the Place
When I read my old posts I mostly just gave a rundown on what I’ve been up to and how I’ve been feeling. With the book coming out, stopping CorrCivic opening a detention facility, running a PAC in a tough world of national democratic fundraising, cooking and eating food, the house and the yard I’m jamming all the time. I’ve sworn to stop that and embrace the puttering pace but that vow has been overwhelmed by events.
On to the good stuff and the victories. I had a nice profile piece done in an online Minnesota publication. https://voyageminnesota.com/interview/meet-mike-trapp-of-leavenworth-kansas/
The book is out and I have the official launch planned for Leavenworth at the Red Hibiscus on July 8th 4pm-6pm. https://facebook.com/events/s/ribbon-cutting-mike-trapp-book/696092123306330/
With all that I managed to insulate my cubby. Our historic home was a rental so first steps have been eaves, shoring up the crumbling brick and gaps in the retaining wall.
If you want to buy the Practical Guide to Building a Better World. See me and save postage. Today I’ll be in Columbia through Tuesday. Hit me up if you want to hook up with a book. You can also pick one up from my publisher.https://breadandrosespress.com/products/the-practical-guide-to-building-a-better-world
I also caught Pride and gave the governor of Kansas a book and told her to run for Senate. She said “hell no” so I met with another great prospect yesterday. Gave the Christian Nationalists some words at the County Commission on the dangers of Christian sectarianism and a little lesson on Jesus’s core message. It’s a lot and it’s all over the place and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Podcast and Book Preorders
There has been so much going on my head is spinning. Achieving some big milestones is huge but it still leaves you to manage all the change and the innumerable details that need to get nailed down when you succeed.
Before I get into that some of the eggs have hatched in the House Finch nest in the wreath on our front door.
All of the projects I have been working on seem to be coming together at the same time. At the New American Community we have been leading the local opposition to keep CoreCivic from reopening their troubled detention facility as an ICE detention center.
Through our work on the issue we came to know William Rogers a former corrections officer who has become a leader in exposing their understaffing and unsafe conditions for staff and residents. Mr. Rogers was kind enough to share his story on our first podcast episode.
https://newamericancommunity.podbean.com/
On the literary front Bread and Roses Press has The Practical Guide to Building a Better World at the print house. Presales are open and we should have books in June!
https://breadandrosespress.com/products/the-practical-guide-to-building-a-better-world
Thank you for support and follow along here or at Https://www.miketrapp store or Https://www.newamerican.community for the latest updates on the book, podcast, and organizing events and materials.
Say “No” to CoreCivic
When CoreCivic first sought to use Leavenworth County as a proxy to garner an ICE contract I gave it serious consideration. I was superficially aware of CoreCivic’s failings maintaining adequate staffing putting employees and inmates at unnecessary risk. I knew superficially about the serious issues with private prisons in general and CoreCivic in particular. Cost cutting at the expense of safety and basic needs is the norm in the industry and CoreCivic is the worst amongst them.
I was on the Executive Committee of the Leavenworth Lansing Chamber of Commerce so I had to consider investment in the region, bringing a shuttered facility back online and creating employment opportunities for folks without a college degree. With an immediate public outcry against the plans we weighed the pros and cons quietly. I was pleased when the County quickly dismissed the idea as not in the best interest of their constituents.
With the change of administration I saw news stories about CoreCivics stock price surging, rising 69% in a single week after the election. I was not surprised when CoreCivic began the process of trying to bring CoreCivic back online in Leavenworth with an ICE contract. While discussing the issue online I met a former employee William Rogers who personalized the issue for me.
His firsthand accounts of the impacts of short staffing the unit are graphic and incredibly sad. He had both his head split open and was stabbed. The “observation bubbles” which should be staffed to monitor conditions and provide assistance were routinely closed because of staffing issues. He told me about another co-worker who was also beaten and stabbed requiring 16 surgeries. While on workers comp CoreCivic cut off her health insurance. She lives in poverty in our community unable to work.
Before the facility was shuttered U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson stated in court: “The only way I could describe it frankly, what’s going on at CoreCivic right now is it’s an absolute hell hole”. A 2017 audit found that its officer vacancy rate was nearly 25%. Contraband and weapons were commonplace. Inmates were left unsupervised while guards had to monitor multiple pods. In 2011 CoreCivic was triple-bunking inmates in cells designed for two people but uninstalled the beds to conceal it from its certifying body the American Correctional Association.
CoreCivic is pursuing a Special Use Permit. A public hearing will be held on April 7th, 2025 at 6:00 PM at Leavenworth City Hall, in front of the Planning Commission. Planning Commisioners will make a recommendation regarding the permit to the Leavenworth City Commission. Leavenworth will hold two more public hearings, also at 6:00 PM, on May 13th and May 27th with a vote occurring after the final hearing. In addition to the zoning decision the City will also take up a Government Services Agreement between the City of Leavenworth, ICE, and CoreCivic detailing emergency response and payment arrangements.
I urge the Planning Commission and the City of Leavenworth to deny the permit and to not approve the agreement. CoreCivic has a long history of unsafe operation and their failures to protect their staff and residents make them unfit to operate a detention facility in Leavenworth. Kansas zoning law allows us to weigh the relative gain to the public health, safety, and welfare to the hardship imposed to the property owner. CoreCivic’s poor performance history including the death of a facility resident would negatively impact the health, safety, and welfare of their workforce, facility residents, and the community.
The Bureau of Prisons and Lansing Correctional Facility currently struggle with staffing issues. There is a workforce shortage in the region that shows itself in ways that we all see. CoreCivic would cannibalize the existing workforce without allowing for the safe operation of their facility. CoreCivic struggled with adequate staffing levels in an economy with less workforce challenges than we wrestle with currently.
Even larger issues than CoreCivic’s poor operating history is the current state of the Federal Government. Leavenworth should take no part in the adminsitration of mass deportation where seperating families and casual cruelty are a feature not a bug. Right now the Trump administration has illegally fired 13 Inspectors General who provide critical outside accountability to ensure legal and safe contracting and government operations.
Signing a contract with ICE while numerous contractual obligations are flouted by DOGE cuts and staffing changes. New York City had a contract to house undocumented individuals and families. They provided the residential services and the payments were direct deposited into their account. Without notice or just cause those funds were taken by the Federal government. How can Leavenworth rely on Federal partners to uphold any agreement they make while existing agreements with contractors, employers, and funding recipients are violated across the country.
Leavenworth has an opportunity to protect the health, safety, and well being of our residents by rejecting this special use permit and government services agreement. With the growing unpopularity of Elon Musk and his unaccountable DOGE minions we will likely see a change in Congress in 2026 and a change in administration in 2028. Once again private prisons will fall out of favor and how will CoreCivic maintain their facilities and staffing with a dimmer economic forecast? Why should we undercut the performance and safety of our existing correctional facilities for a potentially short term divisive project with partners who cannot be relied upon?
Contact the Leavenworth City Commission and demand they vote “no” on CoreCivic.
Mayor Holly Pittman holly.pittman@firstcity.mo 913-449-8991
Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Bauder nbauder@firstcity.mo 913-675-7166
Commissioner Griff Martin griff.martin@firstcity.mo
Commissioner Edd Hingula edd.hingula@firstcity.mo 913-775-0635
Commissioner Jermaine Wilson jwilson@firstcity.mo 913-617-3667
Show up and testify at Leavenworth City Hall at 6:00 PM on April 7th, May 13th, & May 27th
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