Activist at 50

It's not particularly surprising I am an activist, again, at 50. Like a lot of people I was politically active during college. Then life came along. I got married, had kids, started a freelance career. When my two sons were younger I volunteered in the schools and was actively involved attending school board meetings and I knocked on doors for the local bond and levy. Now that I type this I realize I have always been an activist. To varying degrees, to varying commitments I have shown up, asked questions, organized meetings and participated. That's the word. Participated. I have always participated in our democracy. But now, I am a real community organizer.

On November 10th I woke up devastated. Like so many Americans who found Trump unelectable.  I booked my tickets from Portland Oregon to Washington DC for the Women's March the day the march was announced. I organized 9 other women to attend with me, including my 2 daughters. We marched in our gifted pussy hats, made by mystery knitters we would never get to thank. We cheered. We celebrated that we were a part of history. We went home united and giddy, unaware of the news coverage. The confused people who didn't understand why we marched. how could we march when the man had just been inaugurated? Surely we were just sore losers.

10 actions in 100 days. That is what the march organizers promised. The first action was fine. Everyone mail a postcard. But then the second, the third, they weren't enough. Word of a guidebook called the Indivisible Guide had started circulating. It made sense. It has a plan. We needed a plan. Social media started connecting the dots, the women like me who were obsessed with the news. Obsessed with what the hell was going on and did we have any way of combatting it. This Indivisible thing seemed to be growing.

And here we are.

My little Indivisible group that I started with my grumpy old man neighbor, has gone from 6 members to 63 in one month. Our group is titled with only the small little section of the city that most locals won't even recognize. Yet here we are. Our first meeting in February had 6 people attend. On Monday night we had 25. I just posted the event for April, and 12 people have already RSVPd. Today I add 'Community Organizer' to my LinkedIn profile.

That is why I started this blog. I realize, I am not alone. All over America, right now, there are women like me, organizing. Creating FaceBook pages, websites, meetings, making it happen. WE are the CHANGE. We will make this wrong a right. Together we will pick our way through the minefield of this insanely surreal world our democracy has left us with. I realize today, as I keep working activist efforts into my day, from the FaceBook posts, petition signing, phone calling, email writing, activism has become part of my daily routine. Just like choosing to eat more vegetables and walk 10,000 steps, activism is now a part of my lifestyle. It is exhausting, and empowering. I am not alone.