Trying Something New
Last night in our RC teachers’ and leaders’ class, I tried something new. The class was on current events, old despair, and the importance of maintaining a discipline of hope. I suggested that we each have a turn to think about the U.S. elections.
I asked people to think about a whole range of ways they might engage with the elections, from the most stupid to the smartest. Then we came back and shared our thinking with the whole group. People loved it! They loved laughing about the stupid choices. And as they moved to smarter ones, it was clear that some new perspectives and ideas had been generated and some new intentions set.
I am pleased to be teaching Co-Counseling and providing weekly emotional support to six full-time youth climate activists with the Sunrise Movement, which is deeply engaged with the electoral process. I used some attention this morning to wonder if there were even smarter choices I could make. I had the idea of identifying other people I know who are acting powerfully in the electoral process to move progressive issues forward and finding ways to back [support] them more fully. A couple of people and next steps have already come to mind.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for USA political issues
(Present Time 202, January 2021)