 |
| ISSUE NO. 728 |
| EVERYTHING IS ENERGY . . . so where we direct our energy, and what energy we direct, matters. We're noticing a continued effort to trap our energy into argument. As a timely example, we observed so much energy devoted to commentary about the Economic Blackout Day on February 28th - with a majority of it falling into one of two binary camps: 'YES, we hold the POWER', or 'One day won't have an impact.' When we take a step back and observe, we can see that both are partly true . . . the power in the Economic Blackout Day was not that one day will magically change things, but instead the energetic ripple that it offers. And that directing a majority of our energy from critique to participation contributes to the collective energetic effort in the most powerful ways (notice we still leave some space for critique, because strategy can help us all improve - toxic positivity is not the goal, collective liberation is.) We've participated in several economic blackout days organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement over the last 17 months in service of raising awareness about the ongoing genocide in Palestine. I noticed that this past effort on February 28th had a MUCH broader participation (which I attribute mostly to threats feeling much closer to many Americans in the recent months.) Not only was I seeing the economic blackout flooding my entire feed, but beyond just consumers sharing information and resources, I saw many businesses and organizations engaging in a variety of ways: from only accepting cash, accepting local forms of currency, serving people through barter, and / or using the opportunity to share how they are divesting from the boycott targets via their regular buying, etc. . . . Energetic ripples. (See the tidbits below for just a portion of those that we appreciated.) These ripples might seem like throwing a small stone into a pond, but did you ever notice that when one person starts skipping stones, others join in? And that as you practice, you can get better at skipping stones, causing more contact with the water's surface, causing ever more disruption to the sheen? It is true that we need not only a collective of skipping stones, not even just a single wave, but an entire shift in the tide. But even the tides shift little by little. With faith, with repetition, with devoted energy, with our collective creativity and imagination and effort, we can shift to a more caring pathway forward. Yes, we are allowed to feel frustration, cast constructive critique, and feel the occasional exhaustion of despair. Our hope is that in those times, you can look around, be bolstered by the efforts of your beloveds, and continually recalibrate toward community care. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. How will you use your pool of energy? What energy will you contribute? What energy do you want to attract? Forward together, Tay + Dor |
tidbits...resources on anti-racism, environmentalism and food culture AKA stuff we're reading / listening to / watching / noticing / thinking about / captivated by this Tuesday . . . Do One Small Thing . . . Join us in a Pantry Purge. As part of the organizing efforts and economic blackouts we are quite literally organizing our pantries, purging what is expired, giving away what we won't use, and taking stock of what we have available. As a bonus you can try the pantry challenge: see how long you can go without purchasing anything new. You may be surprised at what resources are already abundant and available. Share with us how you participated. |
 |