Thought for the day, 6 November 2024

I've thought carefully about the kind of words I want to toss into this cauldron. I'm feeling disillusioned of course, and angry, and bereft. But I can't let myself be without hope.

Things have been shit before and things will be shit again. I try to find perspective by remembering we've already been here: we know the drill. Tyranny is a great short-term tactic, to be sure. But for every tyrant, a million people organise and wait their moment. Tens of millions talk amongst themselves, quietly resist, teach their children to want something better. Many more sit on the fence, but it doesn't mean they'll sit there always. 

People aren't set in stone; or at least, we don't have to be. We think and feel. We go through life stuff and we grow. Not everyone reacts the same way - but for some people, that life stuff can be the most incredible catalyst, a call to action. Seeing more, learning more, understanding more. I've seen it happen.

I've watched people go from the most judgemental to the most compassionate. From being smug at what they have to feeling pained at what others go without. From rejecting the different, the 'other', to opening their minds and their doors. I've seen smart and strong activism nudge open those minds and doors just enough to make the difference. It humbles me, fills me with awe. 

And activism is whatever is the best you can do on the day: loud, and on the streets; or quiet and gentle, at the family dinner table. Or anything in between. There's bravado around activism stuff, but don't let it take you in. Any step you take is better than none. Surround yourself with the ones who awhi you in whatever step you're ready for, not the ones who will find fault in anything less than a sprint.

Maybe I'm naive, but I can't give up on other people - because to give up on them would be to give up on myself. 

And not one of us humans, not one of us, has the right to give up on another.