In February 2017, I wrote the following question:
“Have you ever watched a flock of Canada geese migrating together across a clear blue sky?”
Those were the early days of a new administration. For many, it was a time of constant vigilance, packed protests, financial boycotts, and expressing views through postcards and phone calls. But many struggled with fatigue.
“All my life, I thought geese followed the leader at the tip of the V-formation,” I wrote back then. “But I learned recently that each goose takes a turn at leading. As the lead bird tires, she moves to the back of the flock to rest while another goose takes her place, then another.”
Taking turns in the lead allows geese to travel thousands of miles, through all kinds of weather. It’s not one goose. It’s all the geese taking turns. Look a little deeper and we can find nature’s wisdom applies to our work toward a kind and equitable world.
It’s not any one person saving democracy; “Together, we draft on each others’ efforts, leadership, and guidance” to get to the future we dream of.
As you well know, dear reader, there’s a historic midterm election coming next year that will be like none other. Our team will continue to equip you with actions gleaned from social justice and pro-democracy groups to ensure that this crucial election is ethical, robust, and accessible to all people.
But this month, we’ll take our turn at the back of the flock. Our team at AoCC has been flapping hard since November 2016 and is taking a much-deserved sabbatical to rest their wings. We do this trusting that the work of many others continues.
If you’re rested and feel inspired to do something constructive while we break, consider completing our self care plan worksheet or doing actions from our most recent Checklist.
Rest assured, we’ll be back on September 3rd with strategic actions for midterms, for democracy, and a kinder future. We’ll get there together.
Warmly,
Jen Hofmann and the AoCC team