Rest and be thankful. ~William Wordsworth
Hurrah?
I was positively gleeful when I heard that the Biden transition would officially begin… and then immediately angry that something so mundane was in these times something to celebrate.
Like you, I’m thrilled about what some are calling the “delightfully boring” incoming government. Competent. Calm. Confident.
Could they be more progressive? Almost certainly. But they are a far cry from the clown show crisis of security risks and misfits we’ve had to endure, and I’m certain they won’t try to burn the country down because someone wronged them on Twitter. (Or, now, Parler.)
So there we have it. One existential crisis down. A few more to go.
That was the actual thought I had last night. Oh, good. Now we can turn our attention to COVID and climate…
It was jarring to realize that I was happy simply to have one less “bet the planet” problem on our list.
Listen, a lot is heavy these days – and you all know I’m a realistic optimist, or an optimistic realist, depending upon the day. But last night I looked back at what we’ve talked about over the last year … and wow. I know I say it often. Maybe too much? I don’t know… But friend. We’ve been through a lot. Like, a lot a lot. In a very short period of time. We’ve now experienced epic massive culture-shifting changes that overthrow systems … in six months.
And I know it’s our nature and a coping mechanism to just soldier on and adapt. What one week is terrifying is ho-hum the next. But holy cow.
So my words will be short today – it’s a short week, after all. But today, let’s all take a deep, cleansing breath, and appreciate that we are finally nearing the end of Trump’s access to the nuclear codes.
That is one thing we can all celebrate, and it’s certainly something to be thankful for.
Have a wonderful, safe, and Happy Thanksgiving. Eat lots of pie!
With love,
Michele
Actions for the Week of November 24, 2020
Tuesday: Phonebank for georgia!
Sign up to phone bank tonight with New Georgia Project and Seed the Vote to register voters in Georgia! The two upcoming Senate runoffs are critical, and you can play a big part in making sure as many voices are heard as possible. From the event:
New Georgia Project is the premier community organization registering voters in the state of Georgia. With the Senate runoffs coming up on January 5th, we need to make sure every eligible voter is registered before the December 7th deadline and we are working with NGP to identify those voters, call them and get them signed up to vote. There is no time to waste. Get on the phones with us now and let’s get this done! We provide a brief training at the beginning of every phonebank to orient you to the script and the technology.
Seed the Vote is a grassroots, social justice PAC mobilizing volunteers to defeat Trump by supporting the electoral work of grassroots organizations in swing states building long term power of working class communities and communities of color. For more information about Seed the vote, check out www.seedthevote.org
Check it out here: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/363122/?fbclid=IwAR1QS6cYGVsso225QK_khvR4gca0V7enaqMo_rBlD_t3TL7zgqoa5fCiob4
Wednesday: More For Georgia!
We all recognize that the path to a progessive(ish) agenda runs right through Georgia right now. We simply have to win both the Ossoff and Warnock races if we want to pass … well … anything. So if you’re not engaged in those races yet, you should!
Postcards to Voters still has addresses for their project in Georgia! It’s a great, socially-distanced way to spread the word, and writing postcards feels like just the thing to do on a cold night. Check it out and request your addresses at: https://postcardstovoters.org/addresses/
Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!
For Turkey Day, here’s a great re-imagining of The Giving Tree, called The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries by Topher Payne. If you’re a fan of the original Shel Silverstein version, I think you’ll appreciate it. And if you’ve seen it before, this is a great time of year to share it!
Find it here: https://www.topherpayne.com/giving-tree
Friday: On Not Meeting Nazis Halfway
Here’s a second reading for the week! Rebecca Solnit’s piece “On Not Meeting Nazis Halfway” is brilliant: “[T]he truth is not some compromise halfway between the truth and the lie, the fact and the delusion, the scientists and the propagandists. And the ethical is not halfway between white supremacists and human rights activists, rapists and feminists, synagogue massacrists and Jews, xenophobes and immigrants, delusional transphobes and trans people. Who the hell wants unity with Nazis until and unless they stop being Nazis?“
You really should read this excellent article about how important it is that we stand up for what we believe in and not unilaterally disarm. Find it here: https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-on-not-meeting-nazis-halfway/
WHEW! GO, TEAM! SUPER PROUD OF YOU!
P.S.: Why don’t you make someone’s day and send this pep talk to a friend or two? I bet they need it.
If you’d like to sign up to get this pep talk and action list in your in-box each week, you can do that here. Welcome, friend!
P.P.S.: If you want to help support this work you can do so via Patreon at
https://www.patreon.com/smalldeedsdone or via paypal at https://www.paypal.me/smalldeeds
My deepest gratitude in advance.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for writing. I read and respond to every e-mail. (Really! I really do!) We’re in this together. Don’t you forget it.
Small Deeds Done 