Make Room For Moxie

I had a short but intriguing email convo last week with a good friend of mine. She lives in another part of the country and I had sent her an announcement of the No Kings Day protest because I knew it would be of interest to her. Historically, she has been a willing protestor if need be so I wanted to let her know about this upcoming national day of protest.

What I found interesting was that, after November of last year, my friend and her husband had considered leaving the country since one of them holds EU citizenship. If I had Canadian or EU or many other possible citizenships, I would be seriously looking at leaving but these friends are not leaving. In fact, their take on it is that the upsurge of resistance and opposition is exciting. They want to be involved. It doesn’t sound like they are entrenched in fear and anxiety. The vibe I pick up is one of curiosity. How is this going to play out?

My friend commented that her biggest challenge was to figure out what steps really matter. People need to pace themselves so taking the time and energy to determine what you can do that can have an impact is time well spent. Doing nothing is not an option but being selective about what one does and what materials one reads is definitely strategic.

She wrapped up her response with this:

I think about an interview I saw in which the question was asked: when your grandchildren or great-grandchildren read about this time in history and ask you what you did, what will you say?”

So I have two takeaways from that short conversation. First, I want to convert 99% of my own fear and anxiety into curiosity. What a way to look at the world! Rather than being mostly afraid, how about being mostly curious? How about opposing the cruelty and greed that seems to be the game plan for the current administration but resisting it with moxie and curiosity? Don’t focus on doom scrolling. Stay in the moment. Stay curious. Be daring. Make room for hope and transformation. Leave fear in bed when you get up in the morning.

And, secondly, I want my descendants to know that I spoke up. I didn’t just allow stuff to happen. I didn’t hide behind fear and/or comfort. I used my skills to write letters and I used my time to march with others. Most importantly of all, I was kind and I looked out for fellow citizens. I let love matter most of all. I had faith in the idea that goodness, truth, and justice will win out in the end. If they aren’t winning yet, well, it’s not the end.

What do you think?