> CD #121: Resist
Hi hi!
Welcome to new subscribers, who probably don’t understand how, when I said I was taking a one-month break from posting, it would actually be two. I cannot be trusted. Except for what follows here, of course. 🤪
Honestly, I could not have posted one month ago. It’s hard to write when it looks like the world is ending. Anything you can think of saying feels totally pointless in the face of a giant, malevolent machine grinding up the people and principles we care most about.
And yet.
I figured the best I can do this week is tell you how I am coping with and resisting the machinations of what author Mira Jacob so aptly calls “the baby men” currently in charge.1 I’m not saying that any of what I’m doing is going to change the world, but it’s not really about that. It’s about finding a way to live within whatever messed-up reality we face by creating a slightly better reality for ourselves and others in the day-to-day. It’s about talking openly about what we do in our lives so that those within our influence can see the possibilities and create paths to hope within their own communities.
Reading books — I’m pretty sure the baby men never read, and they don’t want you to either. It is in their financial and political interest for you to get all your information and entertainment online. They want to keep your attention short and scattered in a bunch of places, but reading a book demands deep and sustained attention. Sink into a really good book. Luxuriate in its depth of thought and the years of careful consideration it took to create.
Carry books around so that others can see you reading, not as a virtue signal, but so they remember an alternative to scrolling. (I’m currently in the middle of Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar and Doppelganger by Naomi Klein. I’m enjoying both immensely.)
Writing or drawing in public — I spend a lot of time poolside while my kids take swimming lessons, and I’ve been bringing my sketchbook lately to work on my next book project. The other parents find it strange, but interesting. People are always telling me that they wish they could draw. I tell them in full sincerity that they can. Lynda Barry says drawing is part of the immune system for your soul, and I think it might also be a good defence system against the daily barrage of horrifying news.
Buying and selling secondhand — I am very lucky because I’ve generally had positive experiences buying from and selling used stuff to strangers. You get to meet people you’d probably never interact with in your normal life, and you are reminded that most humans are pretty decent. Last month, we sold an armchair to a woman on Kijiji who had been searching forever for that exact model. She’d set up an alert for “Crate & Barrel Klyne chair” and patiently renewed it every 90 days for FIVE YEARS in the hope that she would find this long-discontinued piece of furniture. We greeted each other like old friends, and I was so happy that the chair I’d spent so much time in (nursing my kids, reading them bedtime stories) was going to an appreciative new owner.
Spreading the word — Author Celeste Ng recently posted about a movement to distribute stickers with anti-Trump slogans, noting that during WWII in occupied France, people would drop their used matches folded into a V as a secret sign of resistance. “People who opposed the Nazis would see them, knew they weren’t alone, & felt emboldened to take action.”
Not entirely related, but not unrelated: Whenever I wear my CBC logo sweater, strangers seem compelled to compliment it. This reminds me that I’m not a total weirdo for listening to CBC Radio, and that I’m not the only person in my community who appreciates public broadcasting.
Doing a nice thing for someone else - Make life easier in some small way for a friend, colleague, or stranger. Don’t expect anything in return. Don’t even expect them to appreciate it. Do it to exercise generosity because we will need that muscle to be strong in the years to come. If you want to be generous outside your immediate circle, look for mutual aid organizations in your local area. Or help someone out online (like my friend Maloney, who was recently laid off).
Being in your body — I am also taking swimming lessons, with the goal of being able to swim one pool length. So far, I tap out at about 15 metres, which is frustrating because I’ve been stuck there for many months. I am a terrible swimmer. But I love swimming, and I will keep working at it. I always feel a little more sane after I’ve been in the pool.
Watching Robyn and David Byrne perform “Dancing on My Own” — truly, a thin slice of joy.
So go ahead, dance a bit awkwardly on your own. But then go spend time with people in real life. The baby men feed off our fear and isolation. Resist the urge to stand in the corner, keeping your head down; otherwise, you’ll miss the rest of us who are fighting for the same things. We need each other more than ever.
:) Teresa
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Yes, I am Canadian, and we have a reputation for being more progressive and socialist than the U.S., but we also have our fair share of MAGA-style baby men in politics. Never, ever, Poilievre.
Thank you for this—the V matches and biodegradable stickers are cool!
Thank you so much for this. Currently trying to come out of the corner where I have propped myself, head down. This is inspiring. 💓