Winter Solstice

Time to think small.

The days are getting shorter, the cold is intensifying. We have a deep-buried instinct—a good one!—to hunker down, dig a cozy den to avoid predators, gain body fat (alas), and generally hibernate. In short, we’re nothing but big two-legged groundhogs.

One thing I’ve noticed among my fellow disappointed Democrats, is that after the shock and grief of the election, we’re withdrawing—turning off the news, avoiding social media, looking away from the awfulness that’s roiling out there in the larger world. Part of this reaction is caused by the season of the year. Seriously, there is biological truth to this. We pompous humans are all much more closely tied to nature’s rhythms than we know. We’re tethered to the sunrise and the sunset. We’re hugely affected by the amount of light we absorb.

Add to that the fact that we’ve received a stinging defeat. Right now everything is surging the wrong way: the cover of Time, the crazy cabinet picks, the kooky interviews and threats and vendettas. Better to curl up in the den.

And that’s okay. Groundhogs need to hibernate. Most organisms require a time of dormancy. At the nature center where I used to work, we had a few turtles and a snake on display in the exhibit room (rehabilitated from injuries but unable to be released into the wild.) They were prevented from going into hibernation by keeping the temperature always high and the light almost always on. I used to feel sorry for the poor things, living in constant glare, never allowed to curl up in the dark and snore for a while. (No wonder everyone in Florida is nuts.)

But the winter solstice is the point at which the days start getting longer. Since caveman times, it’s been a time for celebration—the sun is going to survive, and so are we! The increased amount of light causes all sorts of subtle but profound changes in the natural world. It triggers maple sap to flow, and buds to swell. It tells birds that migration time is coming. Eventually it will inspire frog choruses and spring flowers.

In the coming months, I’m finding I want to focus on small, local goals. There are, for example, a bunch of Little Free Libraries in my area that are ignored, with dusty, crumpled books stuffed in. What if I evicted the spiders, disposed of the old algebra textbooks, and put in a few new books?

Think small to ease yourself back into activism. The days only lengthen a minute or two at a time. Does your SPCA need more dog treats? Does the food pantry need shampoo and toothpaste? Like that. Little stuff.

Focusing on “little things” will work for us in other ways. In 2016, Democrats controlled just 29 of the state legislative chambers. Today, Democrats control nearly 40 state legislative chambers. Democrats held onto a one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House. We flipped 14 seats in Wisconsin (that’s what happens when you fight gerrymandering). Dems broke the GOP supermajority in North Carolina. Bright spots in the gloom. And there are a whole bunch of special elections coming up. Each one matters, each seat gained in a state legislature is an extra guard against gerrymandering, deportations, abortion bans, and all the other nasty stuff.

Let’s face it, we’ve lost the Big Stuff for now—the White House, the Supreme Court, Congress. So let’s focus closer to home. It’s women and men we’ve never heard of—Pat Fahy in New York State, Bryce Berry in Georgia, Adrian Cortes (squeaked out a seat in the Washington State Senate by 173 votes)—who will be the front line against the worst of what might be coming our way.

I’ve gotten interested in an organization called The States Project. They work to get progressive candidates elected at the state level. As they point out, “State legislatures determine whether millions of Americans have jobs that can support their families, quality affordable healthcare including abortion access, good schools, and clean air and water.” A state legislative campaign usually costs less than 3% of a U.S. Senate race, which means your donations go further.

It’s early days yet. Enjoy your hibernation. But as the days begin to lengthen, start thinking small.

Dear Friends,

Are you worried about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we could really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky