Hi friends.
Lately it has also been thrilling to watch this election unfold. I’ve certainly been having more enthusiastic conversations with friends about it all. While I always advocate for turning off the news in order to get your work done, at the end of the night I’m scrolling a bit more than usual. But it’s not doomscrolling. I read everything with great interest and curiosity. I think it feels OK to observe these things because it’s energizing me, focusing me. Out there, positive things seem to be happening.
I know that the world will not instantly become a better place after the election. It often feels like it’s someone’s job to take away as many rights as possible for innocent people who just want to live their lives peacefully. There are people out there who do not value humanity. People who want to oppress others, control their bodies, dictate what they can read and learn. And sitting here in 95-feels-like-110 weather, it is hard not to be concerned about who is going to be the most responsible for tackling climate issues. We are in the midst of a whole mess of challenges here.
But lately I have started to believe in the possibility of warding off a certain kind of evil, and that inspires me. It makes me want to write, and to be creative, and to support other people. So they can make their art, communicate their wisdom and their stories, and feel better about their place in the world. And it makes me want to create sound foundations for myself and for others and also effective barriers to protect them.
As it turns out, it only takes a little bit of hope to recharge the belief system.
All this to say, please make sure you’re registered to vote. (Even if you think you are, double check!) And then actually do it come November 5. This is our country, these are our lives and the lives of our neighbors and the lives of a lot of young people, too. Please don’t sit this one out. We need you.
Jami
You are reading Craft Talk, the home of #1000wordsofsummer and also a weekly newsletter about writing from Jami Attenberg. I’m also on twitter and instagram.
I, too, am feeling hope for the first time in a long time. I worked on Clinton '16 and the heartbreak afterward sent me spiraling out of politics entirely for almost a decade. It feels good to hope, it turns out!
I’m in a red state and I’m voting!