Let’s Write a Story

*Before I launch into my adventures I am sad to say that I had a technical “hiccup” and unintentionally deleted all of the photos off of the first 8 posts I have written. I hope you’ve all gotten a chance to see them as they’ve been published, if not, feel free to contact me and I’ll send you some photos*

I am inspired to write again. I know, I know, I said every week, but hopefully you won’t mind an extra post.

There has been lots of activity going on in this country recently, more than the usual amount, and that’s saying something considering the US relies on productivity. It feels like someone has stirred the pot, there’s a mixing, a churning. It feels as though after the initial shock of the election, people who were knocked down have hoisted themselves up by their bootstraps, and are fueled -not by anger- but by the will to create a new reality. In the great book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, the gorilla in his explanation to the nameless protagonist was that the movement for “peace and love” in the 60’s wasn’t effective because of a few things. First, they focused so much on making what they didn’t want more apparent then what they did want, and ultimately needed as a society. They poured all of their energy into “no this” and “stop that”, leaving little energy for what they were looking for as an alternative. This leads me to the second point. In order for the movement to be fully effective, another reality needed to be created, outside of the matrix of control. Protesting to the “powers that be” which put them there in the first place wouldn’t exactly jump right in to solve the problem. They needed to turn their backs, literally and figuratively on their oppressors, and create their own story to live in. I feel like they could have directed all of their attention and energy into what they as a people needed. Since this didn’t fully happen, when the protests were over, they had no new reality to step into, and were forced to go back to the way things were.

Look at where we are now, change and uncertainty is upon us; a new president, the drill at Standing Rock was installed overnight, putting water, a basic need, in jeopardy. We will not stand for this. It is my hope that this time around we will begin to put our energy into what we need, and begin to create and write that story and reality. Our story would include the respect of Native American rights, our story would include the respect and appreciation so that all lives can matter because black lives finally matter, our story’s theme throughout would respect the fact that all people are equal. The horror story we’re living in does not and has not served us for a long time, but editing it won’t suffice. We must write our new story with clarity and thoroughness. When change and action are needed, we have to be the ones to get up and do something about it. Without this we will have-once again-no way of life to start anew.

 

What do you think?