Linger
Not in Despair
I
did not watch the inauguration. Or read about
it. Throughout Monday and Tuesday, I didn’t do
much more than scan the headlines, which
announced a barrage of awful, vengeful, and
absurd directives coming from the second-time
occupant of the White House. My instinct for
self-preservation prevented me from doing more,
until Wednesday evening. Then I started reading.
And panic set in. Breath-choking, heart-thumping
panic.
“Fully
facing the reality of what’s happening is rather
terrifying,” I texted my sister, who lives in
Phoenix, surrounded by friends who’d voted
differently from her. She messaged back that she
hadn’t been able to sleep most of Sunday night,
but she was finding some solace in seeing how so
many people across the country were already
mobilizing, offering support to each other,
sharing information and resources, and gathering
in solidarity.
Her
response reminded me, yet again, that the fight
against authoritarianism is as old as humanity
itself. We have fought versions of this fight
many times over, the world over, throughout
history, and we will likely do so in the future
too. And here’s the good part: The core
resources that we need to put up the resistance
— community, care, love, music, art, joy —
remain unchanged, as well.
Despite
knowing this, it's been hard, for me at least,
to see past the fog of despair and exhaustion
that has shrouded so many of us since November.
But maybe that’s ok. Sometimes we do need to
wallow a bit before gathering strength for the
long haul ahead. But I’m also holding onto the
advice that veteran activist Akaya Windwood
offered on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, during a
livestream event. “We need to remember that
despair is a land we move through,” she said,
“and not to build any buildings
there.” |
