December Reflections and Intentions
What's been going on and where things are going
As I sat to write for this today, I realized I haven't written since the elections took place here in the United States.
Much has happened since then, I'll do my best to be brief with an update.
Reflections on the Election
First, I grieved. I mourned. I cried. I fell into a depressive episode (or two), and after finally finding myself back upright, breathing deeply again, I recommitted to purpose and the intentions I have for my existence here on this big beautiful planet.
It's brought up reminders of how it felt when Covid hit. I remember feeling shocked by how few people seemed to see it as a big deal, and saddened imagining all the ways people would suffer as a result of not only the pandemic, but the awful and inadequate responses to it.
My mind went to the community I've been grateful to know over the last nine years as a content creator and Twitch streamer. Knowing many of their stories meant I knew what the isolation and economic impacts would mean for them, which lead to me launching bi-weekly video chats through my Patreon. The goal was to give people, especially those without local support, a place to be surrounded by loving faces and friends, ready to see and hear them fully.
At the time, I was still streaming full-time and didn't have my daughter yet, so I also ended up streaming every day for a month straight. The idea of people feeling alone in a newly unfamiliar world was enough motivation for me to go without breaks for an extended period of time.
Now, we're on the verge of a new crisis. In January, Trump will become our president again, and his actions thus far have been alarming to say the least. It's clear the plan for this next presidency is to wreak havoc, to destroy social support, hinder or eliminate communities dedicated to care and accountability, and do whatever he can to benefit himself and the billionaires backing him.
His intended tariffs and mass deportations would have devastating impacts on the lives of countless people all over our country and world, and the continued attacks on the existence of Trans folks, Black folks, Indigenous folks, people of color and women are terrifying and have already impacted online and in-person discourse massively.
Hearing about young boys telling young girls "your body, my choice", after this election is just so incredibly fucked. Seeing the hateful rhetoric increase once again is painful, sad and scary. We're seeing the erasure of rights live streamed and tweeted at us nonstop via accounts across the political spectrum. It's unending.
On top of that, there's the climate crisis. Possibly the most important issue of our time (after all, what good is any progress without a livable planet?) and another thing widely denied by the people heading into power.
So...what the fuck do we do? What am I going to do?
Steps for Preparation
Well, firstly, I intend to prepare myself to the best of my ability for what's to come. I'm working to get mine and my daughter's vaccinations up to date, likely going to be scheduling an appointment to get another IUD, and I'm doing my best to stock up on essentials likely to become more expensive or potentially even inaccessible once the proposed tariffs go into effect.
This is not something that's possible for everyone, so if you're in a position where you can afford to support others, please do so. You could offer additional funds or donations to local food banks or mutual aid groups, donate to groups working to protect civil rights or helping people flee to relative safety. I'm not going to tell you what to do here, but I did want to offer some suggestions and also a quote, which has been coming up for me a lot lately.
It's a quote from Carlos Castaneda, which I first heard through Jack Kornfield.
"Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. And then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question.
This question is often only asked when you are old. My benefactor told me about it once when I was young and my blood too vigorous to understand it. But now I understand it. I will tell you what it is.
Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn't, it's of no use."
This is how I'm working to keep myself focused and aligned. Doing what I can to meet the needs of my body and mind via my self-care acronym and guideline S.H.A.D.E.S. helps me feel grounded enough to see the multiple paths before me, and gives me the energy to choose one and begin moving.
I've also recently committed to doing 30 minute meditations daily for 30 days. I think I'll likely end up continuing beyond that, because I'm only four days in and already blown away by how much I forgot about the power of a consistent and deep meditation practice. I posted about it on TikTok and will be updating there as often as I'm able.
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Our online community is still doing those bi-weekly calls, but the format has changed recently. You can read about the calls and sign up to join here. If you cannot afford the $5, please send me a message and I'll send you the link to join. No one will be turned away due to financial difficulties.
The Power of Community
What has become increasingly clear to me is that community is the most valuable thing I have to offer to others, and it's what I believe everyone will need to find in order to be able to navigate the tumultuous times ahead. We are not meant to be doing life alone, and especially not during such polarizing and painful times.
Being in community with others can also be incredibly challenging for many. Few of us were raised in a way that taught us how to communicate kindly and effectively with others, so the idea of entering into community feels scary to many. Conflicts will happen, and it's rare to find people who are skilled at conflict resolution or communication who haven't dedicated time and effort in developing those skills.
That's why we're also doing a book club again as a community. All are welcome to join. We'll be reading and discussing the book Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, by Marshall B. Rosenberg. This book has been incredibly influential in my life and it's one of the books I recommend most often. Join us in our Discord (server name SnapPack) and check out the #book-club channel for more information.
During my last stream I was also asked why this book was selected, and I spoke about it briefly in this clip.
You can also watch the clip on Twitch here.
There are a number of other ways I'm working as an individual to do as much as I can for others, I'll probably touch on those in future posts, but gardening is one of those. I'd like to become more skilled at gardening so I can feed my family and ideally other local friends and family fresh produce whenever possible.
As you consider your paths forward from here, I'd like to encourage you to think again of that quote I shared, and ask yourself, "Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn't, it's of no use."
I'd love to hear more about your heartful plans and actions, as well as how you're keeping yourself grounded in a world of turmoil.
Until next time, sending you warmth, care and wishes for your next snack to be impeccable.