To Keep Going is a Form of Resistance
Do your part to fight, but also enjoy your life!
All you have to do is look around at the situations happening everywhere around you. Somewhere, a family goes to a funeral. Somewhere, a family welcomes a new life. Somewhere, parents worry about their grown children. Somewhere, people are taking their first trip to a place on their bucket list.
I took a much-needed hiatus from Medium, because this is where I brain-dump my most emotionally charged writing. I got a lot done over this timeframe, and I got my head where it needs to be. Now, I’m coming back into this place as if walking through the halls of my high school for the first time since becoming an adult. I didn’t realize it, but I needed the slap of the 2024 election to finally grow out of some of my preconceived notions.
It just fucking hurt. That first plunge into my back? Damn. After the next few stabs, I learned how to dodge and even fight back. But I had to take my time in learning. More importantly, I had to learn to accept this new reality.
Thank you for giving me that space. In case you were wondering why many people had to press pause, take my explanation as a reasonable one. Don’t look down on people just because they did this. It’s different from ignoring the situation altogether.
You can still see my stance clearly on my social media. I’ve done my work in the background, and my activism is there. Will I share it all? No, I do not want to put a target on folks I care about.
Big Brother is real, and if you don’t understand that reference beyond the reality-TV show, do yourself a favor and get the book, 1984, by George Orwell. Many of us read it in high school. You can probably tell who didn’t read it or played in the Cliffs Notes… if you know what I’m sayin’.
Animal Farm is another delightful read from the same visionary author. But get the paperback versions from before 2012. Use your public library to get it for free. Look for book exchanges. There are also tons of used bookstores out there. Even some online. I posted one I’ve used previously up above.
As someone who has studied history, anthropology, and also read books such as those above, I can tell you that watching the daily news is maddening. However, I don’t want to stop watching. I want to know what’s happening. So, I had to find balance.
I’ve limited my news intake. I’ve curated my menu of news streams.
Watching the fallout from the 2024 election taught me that there are a lot more idiots, bigots, and lazy people in this country than I ever imagined. It was disappointing. It was even worse for me to realize how many people from my demographic voted against their own self-interest. They voted against my rights, my kids’ rights, and the rights of every American.
That hits hard. I had to do some cleaning. I had to do some steam-cleaning. I had to do some self-reflection. The idealism is no longer there. The tolerance is no longer there. Considering how many people were no longer invited to holiday dinners last year, I believe I wasn’t alone.
Anyway.
I’m ready to get back to writing on Medium again. I have continued doing what needed to be done in my life and also, in some cases, outside of that. Again, I don’t discuss my actual movement in activism, but you can see my beliefs on my social media.
I also firmly believe that there is a measure of rebellion that takes place in continuing to KEEP GOING despite horrible things happening. Yes, speak truth, be an ally, be an activist — but do not forget to take care of yourself, your family, your community, and your mental health. Keep your own finances and well-being strong so that you can help everyone else.
If you are not well, how can you help others? If you are not prepared, how can you manage helping others?
I wrote an article on my Substack concerning this, and I also found the opinion in Parkrose Permaculture’s video (listed below) to be spot-on. I don’t always agree with her point of view, but so many of them hit home. This one definitely did.
Some changes I plan to make
- I plan to move many of my articles regarding writing and professional development over to Substack. I will leave them here as well, but under a specific list in my library.
- I will continue my series on My Personal Paganism (I may be changing the list and subtitle name to this). I still practice, though it is not as front-and-center in my life as it once was. And that being said, I’ve had requests from other busy people about continuing this. Sure thing!
- If I carry over my philosophy and political writing to Substack (as so many writers have successfully done), I will also continue to post it here. This may take some time. After all, I will need to establish a new publication on Substack or use a pen name for this. I don’t want to flood folks who want writing advice/professional advice with political rants and vice versa…
- My secondary projects on Medium may not continue. Lack of time, lack of response, and the absolutely ridiculous amount of effort you have to put into creating and managing a publication on this platform are reasons. My hat's off to those technically minded enough to pull it off along with editing and uploading.
- Look out. I have opinions, and I’m not afraid to air them. This Southern Mama Bear is done. I have reached the age of 5–0 and I lost my give a damn. So, if you can tolerate some F-bombs and some real-world talk, you’re in the right place.
Thank you for being here!
Thank you for continuing to watch for my articles. I already have five set up in drafts and many more to come. Silence is a tool of the oppressor, and I want those rich bastards out of our lives. Though I have not been silent, I have been quiet. Time to put on the metal.
Also, a huge shout-out and thank you to our Mouthy Renegade who started
Some of my most controversial and heaviest-hitting articles have been published there. I also subscribe to them on Substack —
The outspokenness, which you thrust upon the world, and your giving writers the permission to speak their mind has done a lot for me.
