Some readers may be familiar with the quote, “The night is long and full of terrors.” While this is attributed to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, it is a phrase that keeps coming to my mind when I contemplate the current state of our country. It feels as though we have collectively been thrust into the depths of a hellish, unending Winter, with new threats around every corner, and reasons to be increasingly fearful at the dawning of each day.
I do not wish to rehash the last nine months of harmful Executive Orders, nor am I dismissing the uncertainty, fear, and uprooting of lives, as well as “American” principles and ideals that, until very recently, many of us may have been taking for granted. I, too, have been incredibly angry at what has been taking shape. I could go on about how I saw this coming a mile away, while others dismissed the notion that what is now transpiring could or would ever happen. I could tell you that my nervous system feels like it goes into a version of overdrive when I watch the news or sit for too long on social media; a feeling I have never been familiar with, but one that is becoming increasingly common for anyone who is paying attention. I could tell you that very often, I feel like just screaming, primal and raw. But as we all know, none of that will change a single thing. We experience many of these feelings because we feel helpless, hopeless, even. I, too, have felt this so often in recent months that it begins to create confusion about the veracity of these words. Are we, as single individuals, as well as the greater citizenry, helpless? Is the entirety of our current, collective experience hopeless? If you read this and think, “Yes,” I can’t in good conscience blame you.
However, if and when you begin to understand that everything that is happening is occurring by a very specific design, using everyday technology that has become weaponized for this purpose, with outcomes and chaos, fear, and turmoil happening at seeming breakneck speed, you can begin to see that other possibilities could also become true.
Through my own internal reflections in the last couple of weeks, I have come to the determination that to find hope in such darkness, to drive out the feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and despair, we have to acknowledge the darkness. By God, we do NOT have to accept it, but we are required to acknowledge it. Presently, it seems that a vast portion of the country is frozen; a deer in headlights, so to speak. We are having difficulty wrapping our heads around what is happening (it is fast-paced on purpose), all while trying to do our jobs, get the kids to school and activities, put food on the table, and keep things as “normal” as possible for our youngest citizens.
We must acknowledge it all, the bad and the ugly. If we can start there, we can then begin forging a path back toward the light and human decency. To that end, I have an idea, though I am quite sure I am not reinventing the wheel here. I would like to create a digital space, this blog to start, to create a renewed sense of community. A space to bring forth the positive aspects that shine brightly in various corners of this country and the world. A space to share opportunities that support action. A space to crowdsource culture, art, and science – both information and community-based events and activities. A space to seek hope and find community. A space to become revolutionaries by marrying hope to action.
If you will join me on this new journey, then perhaps, with small steps, meaningful engagement, and working to serve the collective whole rather than simply ourselves, we can start to reclaim our lives, our communities, and our country.
P.S. It may not seem like a revolutionary action, but we should all challenge ourselves to spend more time off our phones and more time in raw, unfiltered, presentness. If you can add to that, try hugging a tree, or putting your bare feet in the grass (or sand). I promise you will feel better.
Hope, Action, and Community 