Choose to Live

My book, Resistance is Futile!, was about not resisting reality based on the philosophy of Buddhism. It was about facing reality head on and accepting that everything is transitory. Everything begins and ends. Everything is in constant flux. And we can either accept that as truth to relieve our suffering or we can continue to resist reality, constantly wishing for different outcomes, ultimately creating even more intense suffering. My choice is always to suffer less.

But now here we are, finding ourselves facing a new reality in this country. And this new reality is a regime intent on changing pretty much everything we have ever known or experienced in our lifetimes, and even well before we came into existence. Whether we agree on the new direction our country is taking or not is irrelevant. Reality is what it is. What we must do is accept reality. Face reality head on, eyes wide open, and then make decisions on how best we deal with reality.

I will admit to being an unabashedly liberal Democrat. I believe in compassion. In empathy and love and lifting people up. All people. I believe in us. In humanity.

That belief is, obviously, being tested right now. I know I can’t change the course of events which are in play. I have no control over what others do. But I do have control over what I do and say and think. And that’s an important distinction to understand.

I still believe in us, and I’ll tell you why: the majority of people align in the middle. Whether Republican or Democrat or Independent. The majority of people agree on things like choice and birth control; reasonable gun control; affordable health care; veteran’s benefits; vaccines for our children; workplace safety; wage equity; equal rights; social services that aid the less fortunate and underprivileged. It may shock some to know we even agree with immigration reform and border control, just perhaps not on the way that’s accomplished. We are not so very different.

But the powers that be would have you believe we are. And they have created monsters for us to fear. And to hate.

Most of us simply want to live and let live. Go to work. Save some money. Buy a car. Buy a home. Raise a family. Enjoy a vacation here and there. Live in safety. Have our children go to school without fear. Enjoy our short time on this tiny blue sphere floating in the middle of nowhere.

It’s not too much to ask, right? Certainly not in a country as wealthy as the United States. The new regime seems intent, at least from my perspective, on tearing down our safety nets, our rule of law, our civil rights, our freedom of speech, our belief in equality for all, and even our Constitution. They seem to be intent on ignoring what climate change is doing to our environment and to us. They are beginning to pull us out of various global coalitions which have preserved peace across Europe since the end of WWII, some 80 years ago. It is a scary time for those of us who don’t agree with this trajectory and who, perhaps, find ourselves in the crosshairs.

But we have power. Some, anyway. We can speak up. We can create works of art that speak against violence and hate. Writing. Movies. Music. We can join forums. Run for office. Protest. Mostly though, we simply need to speak up. Make our voices heard. Call and write to your government officials. Speak truth to power. Be like Bishop Mariann Budde. Ask the current regime to have mercy on those who are marginalized, disenfranchised, fearful. Simply have mercy toward others ourselves.

I will write. Say what I need to say. Whether or not anyone reads what I write or hears what I’m saying doesn’t really matter. I do this for my own mental health in a time where I, as a gay woman, as a veteran, and as a citizen of these United States, feel the pressure of fear bearing down on all of us. I will write and I will do my best to be a safe haven for anyone in need of one.

The Qowat Milat, a group of Romulan warrior nuns (of Star Trek fame) have a saying: “The path you are on has come to an end. Choose to live.” This gives you a choice to face certain death from the sword of the Qowat Milat member, or to choose another, less deadly, path.

I see the path this country is now on and the sword that is aimed at our hearts and souls, so I am choosing another path.

I choose to live.

~jwb~