If you've got a furnace, bring people in and share the heat. Literally and figuratively. There are a lot of people that could use various combos of both right now.
Thank you for the post. I understand the metaphor all too well. Here the so-called ‘Alternative for Germany (AfD)’ is taking up the legacy of its brown grandfathers and mothers and is likely to become the second strongest force behind the reactionary CDU. Elon M. has already done a good job of campaigning for them. So we anti-fascists face great challenges.
So we have a lot in common. I therefore took the liberty of translating your post into German.
I'm so grateful my badass (addicted, mentally ill, sex worker) mom taught me the art of connecting and smoothing out connections while she could, it was one of her main goals. I recall frequently going to hang out with her at the (open air) smoking area outside the mental hospital, to show me how to trust my fellow humans that others might be bothered by, and how to follow my gut. As a kid she drilled me to never look for or even trust cops, for instance, but rather look for tattoos and old women (tattoos used to be a different flag as you know.) Never failed (because she also taught me about listening for dog whistles.) And my gut relatively rarely speaks up it turned out, because most people are okay. When I traveled across country on train I was so anxious until I realized I'm usually the scariest thing there and the things I'm scared by often boil down to bullshit. I greatly relish being the terror of my enemies, and a safe and open harbor to the marginalized. Kids have automatically jumped behind me in a scary situation in public and that's the highest honor I have. Even looking weird, I first pierced my nose at 11 and never looked back. I've also had a kid REFUSE to believe I was an adult. At 27! (I was a baby though, looking back.) And that wasn't a youthful face, either, as it was a dimly lit theater (before the show! I'm not *that* kind of monster!)
All this is to say I'm tremendously elated to see you and so many others saying the things she said, especially now. Reminding people of our power and connectability really is one of the most useful things we can do, along with actually connecting of course, and I'm so grateful I found you to help me further develop these skills and more. Thank you for you.
Your points resonate. There is strength in numbers. Solution: Build communities. Eco-villages, eco-communities are spring up all over the world, and this is why. Check out Ithaca, NY. I write on prepping here on substack like you do, but isolationist prepping is only buying time. I feel we need to band together in communities, everyone doing their part to grow food. provide security. Be such that the fascists start thinking, "Those fuckers are crazy over there, let's leave them do their thing." Hoping there are more like-minded folks and maybe you, as a leader and voice, can help with something like this. https://communelifeblog.wordpress.com/2025/01/13/the-fight-ahead-protecting-marginalized-people-in-the-era-of-trumps-return
You're doing a great job listening to your dog!!! 💙 Thanks for this.
If you've got a furnace, bring people in and share the heat. Literally and figuratively. There are a lot of people that could use various combos of both right now.
Stay safe everybody through these scary times, thank you Margaret.
Keeping the woodstove roaring today and making plans to shelter those who need it. Your words are a comfort in these times. Thanks for all you do.
Thank you for the post. I understand the metaphor all too well. Here the so-called ‘Alternative for Germany (AfD)’ is taking up the legacy of its brown grandfathers and mothers and is likely to become the second strongest force behind the reactionary CDU. Elon M. has already done a good job of campaigning for them. So we anti-fascists face great challenges.
So we have a lot in common. I therefore took the liberty of translating your post into German.
https://www.trueten.de/archives/13534-Du-fliehst-nicht-vor-einem-Sturm-oder-Moral-als-Kampffeld.html
I'm so grateful my badass (addicted, mentally ill, sex worker) mom taught me the art of connecting and smoothing out connections while she could, it was one of her main goals. I recall frequently going to hang out with her at the (open air) smoking area outside the mental hospital, to show me how to trust my fellow humans that others might be bothered by, and how to follow my gut. As a kid she drilled me to never look for or even trust cops, for instance, but rather look for tattoos and old women (tattoos used to be a different flag as you know.) Never failed (because she also taught me about listening for dog whistles.) And my gut relatively rarely speaks up it turned out, because most people are okay. When I traveled across country on train I was so anxious until I realized I'm usually the scariest thing there and the things I'm scared by often boil down to bullshit. I greatly relish being the terror of my enemies, and a safe and open harbor to the marginalized. Kids have automatically jumped behind me in a scary situation in public and that's the highest honor I have. Even looking weird, I first pierced my nose at 11 and never looked back. I've also had a kid REFUSE to believe I was an adult. At 27! (I was a baby though, looking back.) And that wasn't a youthful face, either, as it was a dimly lit theater (before the show! I'm not *that* kind of monster!)
All this is to say I'm tremendously elated to see you and so many others saying the things she said, especially now. Reminding people of our power and connectability really is one of the most useful things we can do, along with actually connecting of course, and I'm so grateful I found you to help me further develop these skills and more. Thank you for you.
Your points resonate. There is strength in numbers. Solution: Build communities. Eco-villages, eco-communities are spring up all over the world, and this is why. Check out Ithaca, NY. I write on prepping here on substack like you do, but isolationist prepping is only buying time. I feel we need to band together in communities, everyone doing their part to grow food. provide security. Be such that the fascists start thinking, "Those fuckers are crazy over there, let's leave them do their thing." Hoping there are more like-minded folks and maybe you, as a leader and voice, can help with something like this. https://communelifeblog.wordpress.com/2025/01/13/the-fight-ahead-protecting-marginalized-people-in-the-era-of-trumps-return