Resistance Archives - Confident Writer Blog

It’s been one hundred and eleven days since the election.

Thirty-eight since the inauguration.

It’s important to note because three plus months of active resistance is exhausting.

I’ve marched. Made phone calls. Written emails. Huddled. Visited my senator and knocked on doors. I’m tired and tempted to give up.

A week ago a family member told me not to worry, it will all be over in eight year.

That’s a scary thought.

Please understand, this is not my thing. It never has been. In fact, keeping up with all the political rhetoric makes my head hurt. I’d prefer to be writing about writing. But I don’t have a choice. I don’t have the luxury of being silent if I want to see things change.

The question becomes how do we sustain the determination needed to keep up the resistance. After all, we can’t walk around grumpy and angry all the time. We still have live a life of purpose and joy. We still want to have fun.

I’ve tried to bring joy back by limiting my interaction with the news and social media. I’d scroll rapidly through Facebook looking for babies and puppies. I’d avoid the news as much as humanly possible. And I was almost lulled into complacency. The repeal of ACA, Muslim ban, loss of women’s reproductive rights, environmental policy, gun control, and general infringements on civil liberties have little to do with my day as I run Minerva Rising, write and spend time with my husband and family. Truth is it would be easy to shrug and say it won’t change my life one way or the other. But the fact is that isn’t true. Martin Luther King said it best when he said:

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

Bearing that in mind, it seems contradictory that my first inclination was to say no when my husband asked if I wanted to spend Saturday afternoon canvassing for Jon Ossoff, a Democratic candidate for Georgia’s 6^th District seat left vacant when Tom Price was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services. But frankly, there’s a part of me that wonders if any of it makes a difference. Also, I didn’t want to spend another weekend fighting for the resistance.

Two weeks ago, I felt the same way when I was in Washington D.C. I had agreed to go with thirty other Georgia writers to meet with Senators Issackson and Perdue’s aides, but I almost convinced myself it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t go. At the time, the AWP conference and book fair seemed to be more important. Not to mention the fact, I was tired and didn’t want to expand the energy necessary make a trip to the Capital. But something made me go, and I’m glad I did. If I hadn’t gone, I would have missed the opportunity to see the apathy the Senators have for their constituency. It was both shocking and disheartening to watch the various writers share their concerns about religious intolerance, the repeal of ACA and the Muslim ban, as the aides looked on with disdain and disinterest. I left the Capital certain we’d did little to change their minds, but more determined to stay vigilant.

So, even though I wanted to do other things this past Saturday, I spent the afternoon knocking on doors. Which, by the way, is a scary prospect for an African-American woman in an Atlanta suburban neighborhood peppered with pickup trucks and camouflage.

As we walked door to door, it occurred to me resistance requires balance. It’s about navigating vigilance with a healthy dose of self-care. In the words:

know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away and know when to run. — Kenny Rogers

We can sustain our resistance by remembering these five things:

Read enough news to stay current and knowledgeable. Don’t get sucked into every Facebook post or twit. It’s too easy to feel overwhelmed, by all the opinions. A lot of those posts are designed more to add fuel to the fire than to instigate change.
Don’t get comfortable. We can’t just shrug our shoulders and look away. We must get involved, even if it means doing things which frighten us. Saturday, I felt anxious every time we rang a doorbell. I feared someone would meet us with a shot-gun. Maybe a bit melodramatic, but I knocked anyway. Fortunately, people were pleasant – even the few who weren’t interested in talking to us.
Talk about real issues and real people. Avoid spouting off bi-partisan rhetoric. When people can put a face to an issue, it becomes more than just an idea.
Know the facts. Read actual research and check sources. Not only does that inform our opinion, it allows us to look beyond the simple solutions.
Resist the urge to give up.Do what you can, but know when to take a break.

Until next time. . .

It’s been four weeks since I posted a blog.

I could go into a long explanation about how busy I’ve been. As executive editor of Minerva Rising Press, I had to prepare for the 2017 AWP Conference, finalize the latest Minerva Rising issue – Fathers, and manage day-to-day operations. All necessary activities, but none require day and night involvement. In addition, my husband and I started a foundation to honor Matt’s life which needs oversight and management. And we won’t even get into being a wife and mother, or the general capriciousness of life. But even with all of that, not writing my blog is an issue of procrastination, especially in light of how many episodes of House of Cards, This is Us, Timeless and Blackish that were watched within the same four weeks.

When I started working on my MFA back in 2009, I had a thirteen-year old daughter at home, taught writing classes full-time at a small liberal arts college, and lead a women’s Bible study on Saturday mornings, but still found time to write. Procrastination was never an issue. So, why is it a problem now?

Many believe procrastination is a time-management problem, but the Washington Post article, “The real reasons you procrastinate – and how to stop”, suggests it’s more of an emotional management issue. According to Timothy Pychyl, a professor who studies procrastination at Carleton University in Ottawa, the procrastinator believes she must feel good about the task she needs to complete. It becomes an issue of what feels better at the time. The procrastinator gives into the immediate gratification of feeling good in the moment rather than the more fulfilling accomplishment of a completed task.

I am totally an immediate gratification girl. And lately, I’ve been accepting the quick satisfaction of journaling instead of the more complicated blogging. It’s less risky. No one reads it. My procrastination seems to be an issue of the type of writing I give into, rather than avoiding the task completely.

I spend a lot of time writing in my personal journal. My mornings general consists of devotional time with the Lord, followed by writing my morning pages. The practice of writing three pages in the morning came from The Artist Way. They gave the writer access to innate creativity through the authentic first thoughts of the morning. For years, this practice provided deep insight into my writing and life in general. Some of my favorite blogs started on those pages. But lately, there’s an issue of follow-through. Ideas spring up, but never get fully developed. Instead, they lay buried in the pages of my journal.

Don’t miss understand, I am not knocking morning pages. They are what taught me to trust the authenticity of my own voice. But confining my voice to the privacy of my journal has contributed to my silence on many vital issues in our country. Writing about them gets it off my chest, but it does little to give voice to the voiceless. Writers most write and publish.

This point was driven home to me as I left the Capital over a week ago while attending AWP. I sensed a need to use my writing for more than processing my life. As writers, we must stand up for the values we believe in. We can no longer afford to be silent in this contentious and volatile political climate.

It is much more important for me to write about the experience of being rushed out of Georgia Senators Isackson’s and Perdue’s office after thirty minutes by their aides despite being scheduled to meet for an hour. Or to add my voice in support of the affordable care act, planned parenthood, women reproductive rights and immigrants. And to speak out against racism, sexism, and classism. I need to share my experiences as a grieving mother so that others know they aren’t alone.

Being able to write is a precious gift meant to be shared. There is much work to be done to uphold the beliefs and values that established this country. Everyone must do their part. For some it means organizing or actively engaging in the political process by running for office. For others, it means volunteering or donating to organizations that support the marginalized. And to those of us who write, it means telling the stories that need to be told. It means stepping out of our comfort zone with the hope of expanding minds and changing the conversation. All of that to say I am more committed than ever to using my writing as an act of resistance.

So, even though I’ve been silent for the last four weeks, I’m back in the game. No more procrastination. Only writing.

Tag: Resistance

Five Ways to Sustain Resistance

Why Am I Procrastinating?