HOW TO NOT GET OVERWHELMED IN THIS AGE OF RESISTANCE
Focus, take time off, but do not give up or give in!
Focus on what matters to you.
It's that simple.
Don't get overwhelmed with the massive amount of immoral, illegal and disgusting behavior of our government systems and the people who run them.
It's too much.
But some of it matters to you more. Some of it really gets you worked up - really speaks to your sense of justice.
What is that cause, that law, that system or that injustice that drives you nuts? Pick that as your pet project. Focus.
When you attend a protest, make your sign meanigful to you so you feel passionate and energetic!
Boycott the companies that are doing things that make you angry.
Vote with your wallet every single day. This is very important. We cannot win if we don’t hurt the Oligarchy. Money is supporting all this. Take the money away.
But all this is so inconvenient Maureen! Amazon has what I need! All my friends are on FB and Insta! I don’t want to shop 4 stores to find what I need when Walmart can get it to me in 2 hours!
Is it more inconvenient than never being able to vote again? Is it more inconvenient than being picked up by masked men in an unmarked van? More inconvenient than fearing for your life when you just want to go to the bathroom?
This is resistance.
It takes effort. Sustained effort. It's inconvenient. It even hurts sometimes. So what? What a ridiculously tiny effort to put in to support the cause of saving Democracy, of saving your fellow humans.
I get it. You have a life. You certainly have more to do than I do, a retired suburban White grandmother. But can you do something?
Can you maybe never use plastic bags? Can you call your Senator and tell them you are against what they are doing? Can you avoid the billionaire companies that have abandoned DEI and bent a knee to the White House?
Can you show up at a protest, even for 20 minutes to show support? Can you do the extra work of sitting in your chair and googling which companies support your causes and which do not?
And if you're White and privileged (like me) you have even more responsibility to be out there doing something. Most of this mess is rooted in a sick need for White Christian Supremacy. We (White people) are more protected and less vulnerable when we talk about, call about, and loudly protest these things.
It's about friggin time us White folks took the lead and spent time in the streets fighting for the people who are most at risk. Use your unearned privilege. Join us.
But above all, tend to your own mental health. Choose your battles. Take days off of both news and social media. Allow yourself a political vacation once in awhile. And when you do act, stay focused on your pet projects to keep you energized. Don't get tangled and choked in all the weeds.
You don’t have to do everything.
But you can do something.
Focus on what matters to you and do that.
This is resistance.
It's not everything.
It's a lot of little somethings.