26 July 2020: Sobering shit + a bit more humor

Sobering shit.

Man, y’all. The world is just broken beyond belief. A friend sent me this article today, and it’s not wrong: America is Having the Mother of All Social Collapses. It’s hard to even know where to start. We’re 100 days out from the most consequential election in my lifetime, perhaps yours too, and while I feel paralyzed many days, today I registered to work at the polls in November and also reached out to several organizations re: writing postcards to and texting voters.

If you want to volunteer to staff the polls, PLEASE register here. I have heard that especially in light of Covid, we’re in desperate need of poll workers. If you’re healthy, please help.

If you want to get involved with voter registration, postcard writing, texting, or other politically-oriented work, consider these organizations, all of which offer virtual activism opportunities:

NOPE Neighbors

When We All Vote

Fair Fight

Resistance Labs

Postcards to Swing States

Swing Left

Otherwise, pick a race and volunteer directly for the campaign. Go big with Biden, or support the great down-ballot candidates who can send cowardly, trump-enabling GOPers packing. Click on my Political Resources tab and then click on Candidates to Support for some ideas of who to throw your energy behind and why.

By the time you receive this blog in your email tomorrow, America will have lost more than 150,000 citizens to Covid-19. trump still has no national plan besides letting people die. If that’s not reason enough to get busy, I don’t know what is.

(Admittedly slim) Laugh track.

Thank you, Anne. I will soon be joining this cat.

Thank you, Liz.

8 June 2020: Daily + a silent, yet energizing protest

Last Friday, the boys’ school announced a silent protest in support of the equity, justice, and peace needed to end the systemic racism plaguing our country. Of course I jumped at this and immediately offered to be a block captain (my mother made me promise NOT to go downtown last weekend which really brought me down, even though I understood, so tonight’s event, school sanctioned!, was just what I needed to sate my activist hunger).

Ultimately, 1,000 of us joined tonight at socially distant intervals spanning a more than 1.5-mile distance from school south: students, siblings, parents, teachers, alums, the head of school, and board members brought masks, signs, water, love, and determination to our 90-minute event. It was profoundly energizing and inspiring, and although it was hot as heck, the kids kept their masks on, delighted in all the honks and cheers we received from drivers, raised their fists, and were even flipped off a couple times. They took that beautifully in stride. Jack said, “I don’t care that someone flipped me off, but if you’re flipping off this message, that Black Lives Matter, then you are really pathetic.” Indeed, honey.

#SidwellFriendsStand #SFSforjustice

in front of school after the protest; signs will be turned into an installation.

Dare we feel hope, friends?

1 June 2020: A vigil

Just before lunch today, some neighbors and I met in a traffic circle median in our neighborhood. Masked and distant, we sat in disbelief, worry, anger, and heartbreak, and then we planned.

Tonight, just before 8, T, J, O, and I, plus my dearest K, joined so very many others streaming into our neighborhood park. Candles and flashlights in hand, masks donned, hearts heavy, we gathered. The news today has been so terribly chilling. After a brief introduction, we knelt in silence for nine minutes in memory of George Floyd and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. I felt some hope in this communion of neighbors, friends, and strangers.

We are deeply thankful to all who came. And I thank you, my dear Jack, for helping distribute flyers today.