
Hello, my Fellow Stress Mates.
Look at us. What a year so far. I am writing to you specifically if you 1. Live in the LA area,
and 2. Did Not Vote for Trump or for Project 2025. Face it. With the fires and the utter chaos that has consumed us since January 6, 2025, our nerves and adrenals and cortex have been frazzled, sizzled, literally burned out. We haven't been on such high alert since... COVID? And... before that.. 9/11?
No further analysis is required. We're smart. We've got it covered. Why things went horribly wrong. Who's to blame. And woe is me, I want to leave the country, never watch the news again or read a newspaper, only be around people who feel the way I do, and get endless massages, drink herbal tea and imbibe in whatever takes the edge off, be it weed, molly, booze, sugar, deep dish pizzas or two hour workouts. My buddies: I am with you.
But I have been wracking my brain, pondering ONE question. WHAT CAN I DO?
Understanding now that a complete reset/revolution has been on the minds of libertarian far-right think tanks for at least 30 years, I have come to the conclusion that they are very well-organized.
And I recognize that my fallibilities suggest dependencies on the very structures to which I would not like to contribute. I have no problem avoiding Tesla, Hobby Lobby, McDonalds, Ace Hardware, Chick-Fil-A and Raising Cane's. Maybe I now have to shun my local Target store. I have to boycott Home Depot. But can I seriously give up Facebook and Instagram? Can I stop using Amazon? Will I? You see, I am part of the problem. I fund the very people who stood behind and financed Trump, and I have little complaint with Amazon. I use it all of the time and that is not likely to stop. Without Facebook, I wouldn't have a connection to most of my community, as a musician.
So. I complain, but I am complicit.
I'm not going to spend time here in self-flagellation.
But here is something that has occurred to me recently: We are in this for a long haul.
Whatever we do to resist and protest Project 2025, which seeks to eliminate all publicly financed services, arts, assistance programs and oversight, we must do not in a spirit of fear
with an attitude of failure.
I REMIND MYSELF:
Spirit comes first. Get your energy and your groove back. Admit that you like to win. And say to yourself, ok: GAME ON.. ( if you are like me, you can play games for hours)
You are not alone. Millions of people feel this way. .Also, millions of people do not need anything else to feel really bad about life on Planet Earth! We have plenty!
Doing a little is a hell of a lot better than doing nothing. so, you just need those wee bits to do, right?
RESIST AND HAVE FUN: I will get more specific on this, ,but let's break it down into
BLOCK WORDS
YES I could start with phone numbers. Who to call. Who to write. Who to bug. Who to listen to. But I am leading with not feeling alone in this mess!!!
PARTY: GET WITH PEOPLE !!! ALL STARTS WITH COMMUNITY. Create your own F CLUB.
Have a potluck dinner party music party yak yak yak party. Get together with people! Forbid phones and social media. eat, drink, cry, laugh, be together. HAVE IDEAS. Have crazy wacky fun ideas. Read Saul Alinsky.
Have a weekly WEST WING (remember the TV show?) WATCH PARTY. Talk about what you love about democracy. Have CIVICS quizzes and award prizes like wee copies of the Constitution. Challenge in your quiz : do you know who your elected govt city officials are? What free stuff could you be getting?
CREATE: make a song, a piece of art, a video, a dance, a filmed conversation. Make it all about what you love about this country. Write a song about libraries. Write a song about Head Start. Write a song about getting a student loan. Write about the world you have loved and want to continue loving. Sing it. Speak it. Put it on social media. Make it full of love. Bring the joy. Remind the world of what we love about our democracy.
GIVE. Do you have a fruit tree? Can you give fruit to neighbors? Knock on the door, leave a bag. Bake a cake, cookies, anything. say hello. Know who you live near.
PICK 2-4 ORGANIZATIONS and just dedicate a monthly amount. I myself like EARTHJUSTICE. I know the Earth right now needs a good lawyer. This is like giving to KCRW or any public media. Make the donation automatic so you don't even have to think about it. Who can't afford $5 - $10--$20 bucks a month?
Find a politician you can love and set a donation but get a buddy to also volunteer to help during election time. Make it a fun time with your friend.
The gist of all of this is simple. Before we despair, let's celebrate who we are. TOGETHER. We ARE TOGETHER. Let's be in a room together. Social media is NOT the same thing.
First, we find one another. this is the fun . This makes ideas. This creates energy. Let's not say NO. Let's let our resistance be YES TO THIS. YES YES YES.
As Lucinda Williams wrote once (and I paraphrase) YOU ARE NOT GOING TO STEAL MY JOY.
Ok. Have to go. Coffee with my dad. He Always inspires me.
And let's start inspiring one another. What do you say?!
GAME ON!
I do so enjoy our correspondences regularly. I'm Glad for People like yourself who give me Hope in a Hopeless World. I guess what I mean to say is that I am so Glad you are Here! Thanks for the Friendship!