Happy 248th Bday, America.
Some helpful resources for managing your U.S. of Anxiety.
Hey, happy 4th of July during this not-at-all-anxiety-provoking moment in our nation’s history! Hopefully, today can be a time for both fun—like eating a veggie burger whilst draped in an American flag—and a bit of reflection.
Like: on this historical day that’s all about celebrating America breaking free from a monarchy, why did our Supreme Court just declare that the president is above the law much in the way a king would be?
Or: will America still be functioning as a democracy by the time we get to our next 4th of July? Is it even really functioning as a democracy right now?
I generally won’t be diving headfirst into politics on here, but I did want to take a minute of this holiday to share some resources I find helpful during this current, often helpless-feeling time in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
Because it is a scary time!
If I’ve learned anything from the past eight years, though, it’s that spinning uselessly in my anxiety is not productive. While it’s important to be aware of what’s happening, it turns out us non-journalists do not need to be checking the news dozens of times a day. Not helpful, not necessary, and not the best for one’s mental health!
What I have found helpful is channeling that anxiety into action beyond the act of voting: Calling my reps. Writing letters to voters. Phone banking or text banking for elections, whether federal, state, or local. Or, even better: knocking on doors for elections, whether federal, state, or local.
This is not instant-gratification work. In fact, it’s rare to actually see the direct effect of your efforts. But it does make a difference. Even when you feel like you’re just a drop in the ocean, that tiny drop has ripple effects.
The biggest gift that Trump has given me is that I’ve come to see how activism needs to be a practice. A habit. Much like writing a novel, or taking on any long-form creative project, it’s not meant to be accomplished in one day, one week, or even one month. It won’t be. It’s one step at a time. Bird by bird, if you will.
Like any flow state activity, this kind of volunteering can be fulfilling in and of itself—you know you’re putting your energy into trying to make a difference, rather than standing frozen in terror, waiting for more bad to happen. It’s hard to overstate how empowering that can feel.
Plus, we have seen so much good happen over the past eight years. Just look at a state like Wisconsin to see the way that incredibly focused and persistent organizing over a decade dug them out of a deep and unjust GOP-gerrymandered hole, so they’re finally functioning much more like an actual democracy, with representation that actually matches the people who live there.
So, okay, how do you know what volunteering to take on? I know it’s easy to get overwhelmed into doing NOTHING—it happens to me all the time—so just pick ONE THING TO DO.
I repeat: you don’t need to do ALL THE THINGS. We’re all busy. We’re all overwhelmed. So start with one thing. Something that seems manageable to you. And then sign up to do that thing while you’re thinking of it. Just sign up. Do it. Then you’ll have to actually follow through!
Maybe write letters for Vote Forward or Activate America, both superb organizations.
Or subscribe to this substack—Chop Wood, Carry Water—that, as I’ve mentioned before, is really fantastic. Jess Craven always has great daily scripts for calling reps, excellent volunteer opportunities, and she gives incredible pep talks on getting out there and continuing to do what we can to push America further along toward being a more just and equal nation (even when shit feels completely f*cked!).
Vote Save America is also a superb resource for finding volunteer opportunities. (It’s the electoral organization offshoot of Pod Save America, which I’ve listened to since its start in 2017 and which has been an immense comfort to me through these tumultuous years.)
Donating is vital, too, and in that realm, once you’re done giving to some Senate races, I can’t recommend the States Project enough. Until 2016, Democrats had been putting far too little energy into state legislature races, and as we’ve come to understand, so many massive issues—everything from abortion to gun control—are decided by the states. State election campaigns generally require far less money than federal elections, so the money you donate can be that much more meaningful to the candidates. And the States Project has done astounding work in helping to turn many state legislatures Blue.
So that’s what I have to offer today. I’m no expert in this stuff, but I am a believer in it. And, after writing a bunch of postcards for Tom Suozzi’s election campaign earlier in the year (HE WON!), I’ve been on a volunteering hiatus. Because I get frozen and overwhelmed too!
But on this 4th of July, I’m getting back in the saddle. This upcoming election is terrifying, and whether Biden is the Democratic candidate or not, we can win it. We MUST win it. And we must win as many other Senate and House and state races as we can, too. I’m gonna go sign up for some stuff right now. Please join me. And comment below to let me know once you do. And/or let me know if you need a further pep talk on these matters. You can do this!
Happy 4th. Enjoy that veggie burger.
