This morning I got an email from my friend and fellow democrat volunteer:
“I’ve been thinking about our volunteer experience yesterday and it turned out to be really fun! Also, when I think about it, 8-10 people, who didn’t really know each other, and had never worked in a commercial kitchen- within 10 or so minutes, were efficiently clearing, unloading, washing tons of dishes, drying them and putting them away! Without incident! It’s a miracle when you think about it! I think it shows people like to organize, cooperate, and get work done together.”
This is what democracy looks like. It’s in the back of the kitchen with the dishwashers, drying dishes. It was the least popular job. But a few of us did it and we had some great conversations.
I had signed up to make pancakes (and for the last couple days I’ve been singing Makin’ Bacon Pancakes) but when I got there, that spot was taken by two very determined pancake makers.
It was the democrat pancake breakfast - a fundraiser and opportunity to eat a delicious meal together and hear from school board candidates. I was in the back in the steam and spray area where we talked about Virginia Woolf, grassroots activism, fascism, antifascism, and school boards. We talked and worked in unison.
Momma D dried dishes with me. She doesn’t canvass anymore but she does bake treats for the canvassers. There are so many ways to help.
In hour two, a man was led over to join me in drying and he was shy at first but after a half hour we were good friends and confidants. He (I’m guessing was a millennial) said he wanted to ask a gen-x person, me, about some things and said, I could ask the internet but it might be better to ask you, and I agreed and we did a Q&A over dish drying.
A few days before this a coworker listened to me talking about the coffeehouses I host (with the support of DPLC) and she said “but isn’t it just like-minded people talking to each other?” Well, first of all we need to talk to each other because even like-minded people have different opinions and ways of grasping things and also we need to find each other and help coordinate all efforts to bring about outcomes with the greater good in mind. If anything, at this moment, we need to alert like-minded people to vote in the next election for school board members. Go here for a handy list! Get your important vote in by May 20.
The next coffeehouse is Saturday the 19th. Each one brings new people. Last time, a new guy showed up wearing a button-up with tiny dachshunds wearing different colored sweaters all over it. A woman looked relieved to find us. She said her husband drank the Kool-Aid, watched Fox News and voted for trump. She needed to do what she could do, regardless of the husband situation. “How can they not see this?” She said.
I talk to everybody, not just like-minded but I am not going to shortchange my peers and stay home when we could be sharing useful information. I’m gonna use my gift of gab and share widely.
Last week, I was the only one at the gym wearing a t-shirt with Smokey the bear saying only you can prevent fascism. Mostly people wear band or sport team shirts. I had been wearing the shirt earlier at the coffeehouse and I was still in an anti-fascist mood. For me it lingers.
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