When I wrote Fallen, The Adventures of a Deep Water Leaf, I wasn’t writing about politics. Or even thinking about politics. But lately the story has been popping back into my brain and feeling very relevant to the political landscape we find ourselves in today. And not in a partisan way, but in a human experience way. I keep being prodded to write my thoughts down – and to share them. This is the second post of a series.
Helping Others as a Way Out of (Political) Fear
Lately it seems like we’re all running around like our hair is on fire about the upcoming election. Collectively, like Alora and the other Fallen, we find ourselves mired in the Boggy Marsh of Fear.
So, when we find ourselves stuck in the muck like this, what can we do about it?
When our protagonist, Alora, first arrives in the Boggy Marsh, she is immediately drawn into the collective fear as she experiences two harrowing near misses. First, the fellow she just bumped into gets carried off into the sky by Raven. Had she not bumped into him, it might have been her! Just moments later, she is nearly squashed by the hooves of Moose and is saved in the nick of time when a handsome stranger pushes her out of the way.
Although she has miraculously escaped injury herself, she sees many other leaves around her who have been seriously injured. With empathy, she feels their pain. She chooses to let that empathy move her into action by helping those around her. Her fear subsides as she focuses on helping others.
How does this relate to our current political fear fest?
Like Raven and Moose in the Boggy Marsh, there are very real dangers in our current political reality, even some we may not see coming.
Still, many of us, at least so far, remain fairly unscathed by the things we fear most. Like Alora, we can let empathy for others move us. We can calmly assess the situation we find ourselves in. We can recognize that we still have the strength and wherewithal to act.
We can choose to look around and really see those who have already been injured by the Ravens and Moose of politics and policy, and those who are most at risk of future injury. And we can act to help them.
- This might mean buying groceries for a neighbor who has been hit harder by high prices than we have.
- It might mean starting or donating to a Go Fund Me for someone whose home has been damaged by storm, fire or flood.
- It might mean becoming an ally for someone who is being treated as less than because of their beliefs.
- It might mean speaking up for someone who is not being heard.
- It might mean making introductions to connect people with those who might help them.
- It might mean becoming an active member of our community, volunteering, donating time or money or resources.
- It might mean sharing and discussing our observations about the political choices we are faced with, clearly and calmly rather than stoking the flames of fear.
- It might mean really listening to someone whose views are on the “other side.” Listening to understand instead of listening to argue.
- It might mean recognizing that in a very real way, there is no “other side” and we are all in this together.
When we can have empathy for each other, and let that empathy move us into helpful action, the fear and panic begin to subside. We are suddenly able to pull our feet up out of that noxious, sucking, stinking mud of fear.
I’ll leave it there for now and invite you to explore these Deep Ponderings:
- Are there any ways in which you might be stoking the flames of fear? What might you do instead?
- Who do you feel empathy for right now?
- How might you help them? Are you willing to help them?
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