The Little Things
Nov. 7th, 2024 09:16 am Last night, when I was coming home from dropping off my HR paperwork for my new job, I saw a car that was stuck at a weird angle. At first, I thought that someone must have hit a lightpole, but then, as I went around him, I realized it was someone who was stuck and desperately trying, by himself, to move his car to the curb. So, I pulled over and walked back to him and offered my assistance. Together, even though the car was heavy and at an awkward angle, the two of us managed it. He was Black and I'm a big ol' white dyke. Both of us strangers to each other. Just trying to do the right thing while people went around us, oblivious or unwilling to stop and help.
And I thought: THIS.
This is what we must do on some metaphorical and possibly literal level. It was just the two of us. It was a simple job, but not one he could accomplish alone. No one else stopped for us. But, it didn't matter. It didn't matter that the majority of people weren't on our side. Together, we were strong enough for the job we need to do, right then.
Yeah, it was a small thing and very, very, VERY big things lie ahead. And there will be things that will be too big for us to change, things we can't stop, things we will lose. But, that shouldn't stop us from trying. It shouldn't stop us from doing what we can for each other... and maybe just because they're the right thing to do.
Yesterday, too, Shawn and I arranged a quick check-in WhatsApp video call with Mason. He's two thousand miles away right now, at university, and, honestly? I just needed to see him, hear his voice. We all said some feeble things to each other and then Shawn, who was calling in from work, had to go. Mason and I hung on the line and just cried together.
And I thought: THIS.
This is just as important, We can't be strong every day. None of us have that kind of energy to spare, nor should we expect ourselves to. Yet, we can take time to seek each other out for a good cry, for raging, for screaming, for grieving. We can just sit in silence and stare into the middle distance. Being together might not "solve" anything, but it helps, I think. It helps us all feel less alone.
I spent a lot of yesterday online, actually, processing with people. I talked to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jiawen for awhile--ostensibly to cheer her up, though I think she was the one who made me feel better at the end of the call by reminding me that survival, particularly of queer folks, is, in fact, an act of resistance. Breathing really is enough. It is a slap in their faces that we are here and alive.
Then,naomikritzer and I sat in stunned silence on Zoom for a long time, as well.
I'm not going to say we're going to get through this, but forward is really the only direction. And we can take each day as it comes together.
And I thought: THIS.
This is what we must do on some metaphorical and possibly literal level. It was just the two of us. It was a simple job, but not one he could accomplish alone. No one else stopped for us. But, it didn't matter. It didn't matter that the majority of people weren't on our side. Together, we were strong enough for the job we need to do, right then.
Yeah, it was a small thing and very, very, VERY big things lie ahead. And there will be things that will be too big for us to change, things we can't stop, things we will lose. But, that shouldn't stop us from trying. It shouldn't stop us from doing what we can for each other... and maybe just because they're the right thing to do.
Yesterday, too, Shawn and I arranged a quick check-in WhatsApp video call with Mason. He's two thousand miles away right now, at university, and, honestly? I just needed to see him, hear his voice. We all said some feeble things to each other and then Shawn, who was calling in from work, had to go. Mason and I hung on the line and just cried together.
And I thought: THIS.
This is just as important, We can't be strong every day. None of us have that kind of energy to spare, nor should we expect ourselves to. Yet, we can take time to seek each other out for a good cry, for raging, for screaming, for grieving. We can just sit in silence and stare into the middle distance. Being together might not "solve" anything, but it helps, I think. It helps us all feel less alone.
I spent a lot of yesterday online, actually, processing with people. I talked to
jiawen for awhile--ostensibly to cheer her up, though I think she was the one who made me feel better at the end of the call by reminding me that survival, particularly of queer folks, is, in fact, an act of resistance. Breathing really is enough. It is a slap in their faces that we are here and alive. Then,
naomikritzer and I sat in stunned silence on Zoom for a long time, as well. I'm not going to say we're going to get through this, but forward is really the only direction. And we can take each day as it comes together.
