The antidote to cynical sneering is to get offline and touch some grass, send info to a person who needs it about a food pantry, excitedly explain what Mandami's win means to your 10-year-old. Let's all remind ourselves that this online posturing does NOTHING to help anyone.
Completely agree! I'll also add- for all the reasons we can all guess, this is so much more pervasive online, but the posturing and preening can also rear its head in our in person interactions too if w'er not careful. I love that the things you named involved focusing on showing up not only in real life, but specifically for other people :)
A thing I have loved about you & your work, Garrett, is that you're as hopelessly earnest (and dare I say, uncool, in the fullest and most loving sense you've written about here) as I am on my best days.
Life's too short to worry about this, Garrett. I'm 69 and hopelessly uncool, I guess, but so what? I'm also not rich, kinda fat, serious in temperament, and old. I have plenty of other things to worry about. I live in a small conservative city in eastern NC. I have a lot of experience with all kinds of people. People are complex. Issues are complex. My goal is to enjoy MORE things that come along in this world. Love your writing and your earnestness!
As someone relatively new to organizing and trying to bring a lot of people along with me for the ride I appreciated so much about this piece. Not just the ideas but the way you convey them with humor, honesty about your own foibles, and a coherent, consistent message about the path forward. Thank you!
Thank you Amara. I'm glad that came through, because I was worried it would just be a "these other people are doing it wrong!" piece, and I'm hoping it's an "actually, it's pretty easy to fall in this trap and there's no use in beating yourself up too much about it but life does seem to go better when you don't fall into it."
I mostly equate coolness with invulnerability, which is inherently untrue. We are all vulnerable. It's the name of the game in these human suits. But it helps me feel some small tenderness for those folks who hitch their wagon to that way of being in the world. I try not to be condescending, because that's never helpful. But I do find myself, in the face of it, always thinking, "You don't have to be so scared, you know."
Could not agree more! I hope that feeling came through from me too-- I understand the way in which we all fall in the trap of thinking we have something to prove, because when I get the most scared that's exactly where I'll default, every time.
Never worry, Garrett. Your tenderness for folks is clear and unmatched in many respects. Mine is... questionable at times, but in this case I'm with you.
I'm just going to get stuck on the Eugene activists, who obviously cooked with too much nutritional yeast because cooking with too much nutritional yeast is a truism.
But seriously, Garrett, this is a lovely read. May we always remain vulnerable fools, to the end. And among all the good news that many people had to take joy in, Kalispell, Montana, elected a mayor who might not be a revolutionary, but who's a good person who believes in serving his community and its needs. I mean, *Kalispell*--you'll know how much that means. Made my day.
Definition: A psychological pattern where you doubt your skills, talents, or accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud".
Feelings associated with it: You may feel illegitimate, anxious, incompetent, undeserving, and out-of-place.
Common outcomes: It can lead to procrastination, over-working, and burnout as you try to overcompensate for your perceived shortcomings. Hmmm!
Good thing I've never felt this one bit lol [as I sheepishly retreat into a hedge named "procrastination, over working and burnout to overcompensate for my perceived shortcomings"]
The antidote to cynical sneering is to get offline and touch some grass, send info to a person who needs it about a food pantry, excitedly explain what Mandami's win means to your 10-year-old. Let's all remind ourselves that this online posturing does NOTHING to help anyone.
Completely agree! I'll also add- for all the reasons we can all guess, this is so much more pervasive online, but the posturing and preening can also rear its head in our in person interactions too if w'er not careful. I love that the things you named involved focusing on showing up not only in real life, but specifically for other people :)
A thing I have loved about you & your work, Garrett, is that you're as hopelessly earnest (and dare I say, uncool, in the fullest and most loving sense you've written about here) as I am on my best days.
Thanks for being earnest and uncool with me, Cassey!
Life's too short to worry about this, Garrett. I'm 69 and hopelessly uncool, I guess, but so what? I'm also not rich, kinda fat, serious in temperament, and old. I have plenty of other things to worry about. I live in a small conservative city in eastern NC. I have a lot of experience with all kinds of people. People are complex. Issues are complex. My goal is to enjoy MORE things that come along in this world. Love your writing and your earnestness!
Love your attitude and approach here, Pat!
As someone relatively new to organizing and trying to bring a lot of people along with me for the ride I appreciated so much about this piece. Not just the ideas but the way you convey them with humor, honesty about your own foibles, and a coherent, consistent message about the path forward. Thank you!
Thank you Amara. I'm glad that came through, because I was worried it would just be a "these other people are doing it wrong!" piece, and I'm hoping it's an "actually, it's pretty easy to fall in this trap and there's no use in beating yourself up too much about it but life does seem to go better when you don't fall into it."
I mostly equate coolness with invulnerability, which is inherently untrue. We are all vulnerable. It's the name of the game in these human suits. But it helps me feel some small tenderness for those folks who hitch their wagon to that way of being in the world. I try not to be condescending, because that's never helpful. But I do find myself, in the face of it, always thinking, "You don't have to be so scared, you know."
Could not agree more! I hope that feeling came through from me too-- I understand the way in which we all fall in the trap of thinking we have something to prove, because when I get the most scared that's exactly where I'll default, every time.
Never worry, Garrett. Your tenderness for folks is clear and unmatched in many respects. Mine is... questionable at times, but in this case I'm with you.
"Asha Sanaker: Multitudinous strengths, questionable tenderness"
😂😂😂 It’s true!
I'm just going to get stuck on the Eugene activists, who obviously cooked with too much nutritional yeast because cooking with too much nutritional yeast is a truism.
But seriously, Garrett, this is a lovely read. May we always remain vulnerable fools, to the end. And among all the good news that many people had to take joy in, Kalispell, Montana, elected a mayor who might not be a revolutionary, but who's a good person who believes in serving his community and its needs. I mean, *Kalispell*--you'll know how much that means. Made my day.
Wait I completely missed the Kalispell election news?????
https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2025/nov/05/ryan-hunter-elected-as-next-mayor-flathead-county-jail-bond-passes/
About impostor syndrome
Definition: A psychological pattern where you doubt your skills, talents, or accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud".
Feelings associated with it: You may feel illegitimate, anxious, incompetent, undeserving, and out-of-place.
Common outcomes: It can lead to procrastination, over-working, and burnout as you try to overcompensate for your perceived shortcomings. Hmmm!
Good thing I've never felt this one bit lol [as I sheepishly retreat into a hedge named "procrastination, over working and burnout to overcompensate for my perceived shortcomings"]
It definitely resonated for me along with: if not for the running dialog in my head, I'd believe I was actually doing ok."
How could you leave us hanging on the verdict regarding the Eugene Oregon anarchists????
What I learned is that, in the end, the real Eugene, Oregon anarchists are the friends we made along the way
And that is the true meaning of praxis