Against the Churn

When the system is cruelty, kindness is a revolutionary act. Who’d have thought that the most punk thing you can do is have empathy and compassion. Feel like we need to tell stories of coming out of darkness and focusing on love over hate. Even if its just telling ourselves those stories to stand our ground against the churn. The last few months have been heavy to contend with. The rise of fascism has been coming for a long while and many, myself included, have felt powerless against it. There is hope, always hope, in the small acts of kindness, empathy and compassion.

A series of small drops in a vast ocean that will eventually wash away the mountains of hate and bigotry. Reckoning with the tidal wave of everything going on, its taken us until now to find our feet again and plant them firmly in the ground. I do not choose to hate, to be filled with anger and rage. It is the one thing we truly have control over, our reaction. All the greatest stories, the ones that truly matter, are about fighting for the good as the world grows darker. And its true, we do need to fight, in many different ways, and all the avenues we have available to us. But no amount of hate or anger, no matter how justified, has ever made me feel comfort, joy or better about life. So I choose not to.

It’s taken us a while to adjust and find our footing with the world the way that it is right now. The overwhelming feeling of pointless and powerlessness that can come along with it. I’ve found myself wondering what is the point of releasing a song, a story, or a comic when the world is on fire and everyone is trying to find joy in the misery of the other. If there is anything I’ve learned from history, from loving stories and art, it’s that these are the times when those little things are the most important. Not just to give people a light in the darkest of places but to let them know that monsters can be defeated.

The balance can shift and we don’t have to let that darkness and hate take up the space inside us too. Stars shine brightest in the absence of light. So write, draw, sing, create and share. Even if its just to share with us. And we will do the same. These can be our small acts of bravery, our secret little rebellion, in a world so desperate to keep us segregated, separated, isolated and alone.

~ Alice

Written by PHDM