One foot in front of the other
Would you be surprised if I told you I’m a person with weekly, monthly and yearly plans? I think not. But right now, I’m trying to remember that I just have to put one foot in front of the other in order to get to Nov 5 and beyond. And I thought you might need that reminder.
In a few days, we’ll know whether our country will be led by a racist psychopath (to put it mildly) or a history-making institution bearer. We cannot know the role we will play in the days after the election until that is clear. Until then, we can organize and pay close attention. That’s kind of it.
Meanwhile, there’s no doubt that you’re living a lot of life, as caregivers, organizers, people who move in the world with conscience and compassion. And maybe you’re even trying to have a little fun. In the past week and the coming one, I’ll be at social events for work, meet up with friends, travel, and celebrate Diwali. If ever there was a time to remember that good triumphs over evil, this is it.
But back to the subject line of this email. In the bigger world around us, let’s keep these words of Frederick Douglass in mind, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
In our own complex micro universe, we must rely on trusting – that slowing down, that not knowing what tomorrow might bring, that putting one foot in front of the other, is a good thing. It keeps us grounded in the present, allows us to feel deeply. As a control freak (I see you fellow No. 1s), I am telling myself that it’s a choice to put one foot in front of the other rather than something simply forced on me by current conditions. It’s not going to work all the time, but sometimes, when the noise in your head and all around you feels like just a little too much, try it.
In love and struggle,
Sayu