i realized a few years ago that all i could do was be active in my local community, so now i teach a weekly fencing class that attracts a lot of commies and queers, and is a part of the greater regional fencing community, which is also full of the same. It is not going to stop anything, but now we all know a few dozen people more as friends, many of whom will fight for the rest of us when the time is right. We will have our day.
Appreciate this one so much. A better world is possible, and while a lot is asked of us to get there, I know its possible so long as we commit with our entire beings -- including our backbones.
For anyone that might find it helpful, I'd like to share what has worked for me (it seems that others are doing something similar in the comments). Sometimes when I find myself feeling like the author, feeling "small" and "powerless" as they describe it, the best thing I can do is actually do things that make me feel small and powerless in a comforting and peaceful way. I love how small and insignificant I feel when I am looking at a mountain or an ocean or a redwood or a canyon. I can literally feel some of my anxieties and concerns melting off of me and while it's a little bit scary to acknowledge one's smallness in the face of geological/astronomical scale, that fear is somehow a comforting one, and vastly preferable to feeling small and powerful because of the global right.
"And all the opposition party can seem to do about it is to humbly ask you for $5" is the PERFECT encapsulation of how impotent the two-party system feels.
There's an old TV film from the Sixties called "Carol for Another Christmas" that Rod Serling wrote. In it, there's a character played by Peter Sellers called the Imperial Me, and I swear every single line of his dialogue fits today's government-backed conservative moment to a T.
I try to keep that image in mind whenever I read another soul-crushing headline, that these people are walking caricatures and we have real people trying to meet their own needs. I'd rather focus on people around me who could use a hand than live and die with the news cycle.
I have the same thoughts and ultimately I ended up joining DSA and volunteering with them on specific events/issues/campaigns after teetering for a few years on whether or not it would be worth the affiliation. I’m happy to report from the flip side that it’s truly edifying to be surrounded by people who believe in and work towards achieving a better world. Let this be the moment that pushes you to make the change you want to see.
i realized a few years ago that all i could do was be active in my local community, so now i teach a weekly fencing class that attracts a lot of commies and queers, and is a part of the greater regional fencing community, which is also full of the same. It is not going to stop anything, but now we all know a few dozen people more as friends, many of whom will fight for the rest of us when the time is right. We will have our day.
We will have our day
Appreciate this one so much. A better world is possible, and while a lot is asked of us to get there, I know its possible so long as we commit with our entire beings -- including our backbones.
Great response Papi, thanks for sharing!
For anyone that might find it helpful, I'd like to share what has worked for me (it seems that others are doing something similar in the comments). Sometimes when I find myself feeling like the author, feeling "small" and "powerless" as they describe it, the best thing I can do is actually do things that make me feel small and powerless in a comforting and peaceful way. I love how small and insignificant I feel when I am looking at a mountain or an ocean or a redwood or a canyon. I can literally feel some of my anxieties and concerns melting off of me and while it's a little bit scary to acknowledge one's smallness in the face of geological/astronomical scale, that fear is somehow a comforting one, and vastly preferable to feeling small and powerful because of the global right.
"And all the opposition party can seem to do about it is to humbly ask you for $5" is the PERFECT encapsulation of how impotent the two-party system feels.
This really helps, Papi.
There's an old TV film from the Sixties called "Carol for Another Christmas" that Rod Serling wrote. In it, there's a character played by Peter Sellers called the Imperial Me, and I swear every single line of his dialogue fits today's government-backed conservative moment to a T.
I try to keep that image in mind whenever I read another soul-crushing headline, that these people are walking caricatures and we have real people trying to meet their own needs. I'd rather focus on people around me who could use a hand than live and die with the news cycle.
Beautiful and affirming writing, as always.
Hola Papi, cuando debemos andar en las calles como los nicaragüenses en abril de 2018? Y la pregunta más profunda: hasta cuando?...
“This too shall pass” and “god is change”. How will you shape god?
I have the same thoughts and ultimately I ended up joining DSA and volunteering with them on specific events/issues/campaigns after teetering for a few years on whether or not it would be worth the affiliation. I’m happy to report from the flip side that it’s truly edifying to be surrounded by people who believe in and work towards achieving a better world. Let this be the moment that pushes you to make the change you want to see.