I will not lie, finding motivation has become very difficult lately. I never thought we would be at this point as women (including non-binary, trans, LGBTQ+, etc.)—the place where we have to figure out how to move forward in a world that insists on limiting us.
If you are one of the people who, for your own selfish reasons and greed, helped this happen, pass on by; this article is not for you.
Almost every day recently, my 21-year-old daughter calls me looking for a sense of hope, a reason to stay focused, or an explanation that can help her move into the future. And I have no answers.
I could never have predicted that I would be searching for ways to resist a world that wants to keep me and others like me silenced. But that is the reality we face now. So today, I am making a list of what I plan to do from this point forward. If you want to be part of the resistance, let's connect.
- Never Stay Silent: I find it fascinating that so many people voted because they wanted the right to be as cruel, disgusting, racist, and sexist as possible and say whatever they want to say with no repercussions. At the same time, they want to silence the voices who speak for the rights of others. I will not be silenced!
- Work by My Own Rules: I believe one of the results of recent events will be that workers are expected to work harder for less money, while again the rich get richer. I will continue to focus on doing work that I value, on earning money for work that puts good into the world, and balancing that with my right to live a balanced life on my own terms.
- Open My "Virtual" Doors to Others: I will do whatever I can to support and lift those who face bigger issues than I do. I will fight the system for them whenever necessary. I recognize the privilege inherent in the color of my skin (even though I am Othered in many different ways), so that imbues me with a responsibility to become a collaborator with others and promote change based on the needs of others. To do this, I must make myself available through comments, messages, etc. while still protecting my family. Doing this comes with risk because of the toxicity that people hidden behind screens exhibit, but if I can't ignore the hate, I'll never be able to help find solutions.
- Practice Radical Empathy: I am a believer in the power of people coming together to create, communicate, collaborate, and solve problems as a community. To do that, though, I have to be willing to have discussions with people whose views I currently abhor. I'm not going to lie; the thought of that makes my stomach hurt. How do I try to empathize with people who don't respect me, my daughter, my friends, or anything I value? This will require a two-step process that is going to take time and patience: Step 1: Collaborate with people who align with me to find new creative, playful techniques to cross the divide. Step 2: Invite people who are on "the other side" in for honest conversations--especially those who begin to understand that their choices have brought more harm than good.
This is the most difficult thing to achieve, and I can't do it alone. There are plenty of people out there who have more knowledge and capacity to bring others together to do this. But, if we want any future for our children, we need to recognize the parts of this system that need to be rebuilt from the bottom up. How? I don't yet know, but I am determined that my path forward lies in helping start these difficult conversations until we find a solution toward creating a world built under a new model.
What needs to be rebuilt:
- The inherent evils of patriarchy control all of our systems and hurt both men and women.
- The failures of late-stage capitalism make it impossible for anyone but the richest to ever make gains in society.
- A system of justice built to reinforce the ideology of the white patriarchy.
- The corruption of all (yes, all) major religions. We need a society that practices the reality that faith is a personal choice that should not be forced on others.
- The concept of what everyone has a right to, which should include: health, shelter, food, freedom from fear, love in all its forms, and the right to choose how they use their body.
How do we achieve this? I don't really know, but my way forward is finding out. If you want to join me, let's talk.
