I'm sending this post to my beautiful trans daughter-in-law and her partner, my beloved queer child, who live in West Virginia right now and are feeling lots of things, most of them not great. I'm with you on the fighting for ourselves and each other. Thinking of ways to keep other folks safe is the way I'm choosing to move through this time that's come upon us, yet again. Keep fighting and writing! Love and strength to you 💪
Hello together, Thank you for your article Margaret, which shows me that not everyone in the USA is burying their heads in the sand. I have made another translation into German.
Man, do I ever wish all the folks our there demanfing things like bodily autonomy, the freedom to speak their opinions and lived experience, and so on would get together and fight the psychopathic peoples we call corporations, and the same breed that run those corporations and governments, rather than working so hard to believe the 'others' demanding there things don't count, as they are just so terrible, they don't really count as people anyway. Almost as if someone out there really wants us fighting each other for some reason...
There is an interesting 'yarn' in 'Sand Talk' about why the word safety does not exist in his language. Simply put, there is no such thing. 'Safety' isnt something one can have or expect. It is a sort of denial of agency, of the responsibility to act to protect oneself and others. So, two kinds of protection (you protect yourself, you protect those you care about, and maybe even some you do not know). This 'protection works well in a society with a lot of relationships of different kinds, in particular with those quite different from oneself. And of course a culture than trains every to be able to protect themselves!
All the fear and divisive TV flamed hatred going full swing these days I believe has quite a bit to do with the idea that all the insane problems we face can be laid at the feet of those other people, def not worth connecting with in any way, as evil, stupid, or depraved as they are. Nice to have someone else to blame I suppose, but maybe also a great way to feel powerless.
But you are SO ON with this one. You have agency, power, skills, wisdom, experience; you are fierce, not afraid! And you have fierce friends too, you can make more! You can tell the stories of your people! There are at least a few of us 'other' people that really want to hear them, perhaps because we are people too...
Y, i know we are not all 300lb bouncers, trained killers, or kung fu masters (I am in the bottom 2% of height for men... I just finished a book of short stores by Ivan Coyote... I guess I am not the only one that forgets how easily people much largef than me can kick my ass when i run my mouth...). But Ivan's stories are POWERFUL. TELL THEM. HEAR THE STORIES OF OTHERS. And let them change you!
It's gonna be *so* annoying printing out one of these paragraphs on a clothing but by cats I'm gonna do it, I wish I could get a billboard.
I'm so fucking grateful I found you when I needed you most--awhile ago, which gave me a strong foundation for now and the years to come, and I'm so fucking grateful you do what you do. Thank you so fucking much. Please always fight the good fight.
First, I'm still carrying a song in my heart from getting to meet you in Quilcene. Thank you for coming out this way.
Second, I think it's one of the laws of thermodynamics that a dark and stormy night is the best time to ravish, and/or relish the sweetheart. I hope you have realized this important fact.
Finally, and more seriously, I needed the reminder that I can be the scary thing. As an older white lady, I'm not in the direct line of fire right now (I'm in crone mode!). I become fearful when I'm not sure what to do, or when i feel I'm at the mercy of this big ugly thing that seems to be everywhere all at once. But once I commit to my family and friends and fucking strangers who are in the line of fire, the fear goes away. It's like, oh wait, I'm the badass here. I'm prepared, and im ready for them (although I'm feeling a need to get to the gym more often). Peace and love to you and yours Ms Killjoy.
I'm sending this post to my beautiful trans daughter-in-law and her partner, my beloved queer child, who live in West Virginia right now and are feeling lots of things, most of them not great. I'm with you on the fighting for ourselves and each other. Thinking of ways to keep other folks safe is the way I'm choosing to move through this time that's come upon us, yet again. Keep fighting and writing! Love and strength to you 💪
Hello together, Thank you for your article Margaret, which shows me that not everyone in the USA is burying their heads in the sand. I have made another translation into German.
https://www.trueten.de/archives/13475-Wir-sind-die-seltsamen-und-furchterregenden-Dinge-in-diesen-Waeldern.html
That's so wonderful. Thank you for upping the accessibility, we need it *everywhere*.
Man, do I ever wish all the folks our there demanfing things like bodily autonomy, the freedom to speak their opinions and lived experience, and so on would get together and fight the psychopathic peoples we call corporations, and the same breed that run those corporations and governments, rather than working so hard to believe the 'others' demanding there things don't count, as they are just so terrible, they don't really count as people anyway. Almost as if someone out there really wants us fighting each other for some reason...
There is an interesting 'yarn' in 'Sand Talk' about why the word safety does not exist in his language. Simply put, there is no such thing. 'Safety' isnt something one can have or expect. It is a sort of denial of agency, of the responsibility to act to protect oneself and others. So, two kinds of protection (you protect yourself, you protect those you care about, and maybe even some you do not know). This 'protection works well in a society with a lot of relationships of different kinds, in particular with those quite different from oneself. And of course a culture than trains every to be able to protect themselves!
All the fear and divisive TV flamed hatred going full swing these days I believe has quite a bit to do with the idea that all the insane problems we face can be laid at the feet of those other people, def not worth connecting with in any way, as evil, stupid, or depraved as they are. Nice to have someone else to blame I suppose, but maybe also a great way to feel powerless.
But you are SO ON with this one. You have agency, power, skills, wisdom, experience; you are fierce, not afraid! And you have fierce friends too, you can make more! You can tell the stories of your people! There are at least a few of us 'other' people that really want to hear them, perhaps because we are people too...
Y, i know we are not all 300lb bouncers, trained killers, or kung fu masters (I am in the bottom 2% of height for men... I just finished a book of short stores by Ivan Coyote... I guess I am not the only one that forgets how easily people much largef than me can kick my ass when i run my mouth...). But Ivan's stories are POWERFUL. TELL THEM. HEAR THE STORIES OF OTHERS. And let them change you!
It's gonna be *so* annoying printing out one of these paragraphs on a clothing but by cats I'm gonna do it, I wish I could get a billboard.
I'm so fucking grateful I found you when I needed you most--awhile ago, which gave me a strong foundation for now and the years to come, and I'm so fucking grateful you do what you do. Thank you so fucking much. Please always fight the good fight.
Oh, I meant to say so annoying printing out one of these paragraphs LETTER BY LETTER. But fuck me is it ever worth it.
I have 3 things;
First, I'm still carrying a song in my heart from getting to meet you in Quilcene. Thank you for coming out this way.
Second, I think it's one of the laws of thermodynamics that a dark and stormy night is the best time to ravish, and/or relish the sweetheart. I hope you have realized this important fact.
Finally, and more seriously, I needed the reminder that I can be the scary thing. As an older white lady, I'm not in the direct line of fire right now (I'm in crone mode!). I become fearful when I'm not sure what to do, or when i feel I'm at the mercy of this big ugly thing that seems to be everywhere all at once. But once I commit to my family and friends and fucking strangers who are in the line of fire, the fear goes away. It's like, oh wait, I'm the badass here. I'm prepared, and im ready for them (although I'm feeling a need to get to the gym more often). Peace and love to you and yours Ms Killjoy.
Ugh. Beautiful writing as always.
The past few weeks it has been a struggle of complicated and ugly feelings. And this is so hopeful even in the face of all of that. Thank you.