If you, like me, feel overwhelmed by the speed of attacks on our democracy and the various actions that we are being called on to participate in. You are not alone. And if, additionally, you say to yourself, how can my small action possibly make a difference? You are not alone there too.
As an illustration, let me tell you about a colleague of mine. I worked alongside Tom Greenaway for more than 40 years until his passing in December of 2021.
When he moved to Ukiah, California, to work in our offices here, he started attending the local weekly city council meetings. Every week he would sit in the same place. He never said anything, he just sat through the meetings. There would be times when hundreds of people would show up for a particular issue. The hall would be filled to its capacity, and, as soon as that part of the agenda was concluded the hall would be empty once more, with only Tom sitting there keeping watch. This went on for several years until Tom went into semi-retirement from New Dimensions and moved to Tennessee. We had a going away party for him, and someone from the city council came and said that Tom’s presence, his nonjudgmental listening and witnessing, had made their decisions better. Because he was there, week after week, they held themselves more accountable to the public they served. This is a powerful statement of how our very presence can make a difference.
You don’t have to do everything, but you need to do something on a regular basis. If you wonder what that might be, look around you. Inhale, savor life. Check out what you are passionate about. Then exhale, and take action. You don’t have to be assured of a particular outcome in order to participate. We can never really know what the results of our service will be. But whatever the outcome, do one small thing because it is the right and good thing for you to do. Do it because it makes you feel better. Do it with confidence and joy.
