I'm not surprised. 

If you had asked me 6 months ago what would happen if a bunch of white supremacist Trump supporters tried to storm the capitol, I would have guessed they’d be welcomed in for tea and biscuits. And that’s essentially what happened. No riot gear. No tear gas. The cops OPENED THE GATES for them.

I’m not surprised because we knew this kind of white supremacy lived in our country and in the systems built to protect it. And we knew that Trump would draw it out. At this point - days from inauguration and with many republicans seeing Trump and his supporters for what they are - I do have faith that these people will be shut down and they will not, in fact, take over. I’m no political expert, but that is my feeling. That this will “go away” in due time.

And if you look like me, it will seem that it really has gone away. But if you don a darker shade of skin, or if you live outside the realms of CIS, straight, or otherwise “fitting the mold,” it will not go away. Because these people will not simply disappear; where would we expect them to go? 

Those that don’t look like me will still feel it, everyday, and they will wonder why nobody else is doing a damn thing about it.

So please, do a damn thing.

Stop thinking this is out of your control. Stop thinking this is not your fight. In the world of self-development and personal evolution that I live in, this is my biggest pet peeve: people thinking they can’t make a change; people thinking the task is too insurmountable, or it will take too long, or it’s simply “not for them.”

Lazy. Fearful. Cowardice. That’s what it is. We settle for the lives we have because it’s overwhelming to do the real work it takes to change them. We stay in our comfort zones, pointing fingers from the sidelines at the folks who dared to step into the rink and give it a shot.

I know from years of this work that nothing happens overnight. As we sit in the season of New Year's resolutions we can see this firsthand. The enormity of the task keeps us from ever starting. We do the easy thing, we scratch the surface, and we think “I tried.” We go to yoga and call ourselves spiritual. We eat a salad and call ourselves healthy. We post a black square and think we’ve done our part.

But real change takes time, and there is nothing easy about it. The revolution, be it personal or for our country, requires a much deeper dig. We know in this field that if it was easy, it wasn’t the thing that was really necessary. Nothing easy will ever make the real change we seek.

So yes, this is about you. This is about all of us.

As I sat in meditation this morning, processing the emotions from yesterday, I realized I am not surprised, but I am enraged. I’m not mad at the white supremacists who stormed the white house - I expected that from them. Disgusted, yes. Surprised, no.

I’m pissed at the white liberals who sit in shock as they watch. I’m pissed at the people who haven’t dug deep enough in themselves, who find every excuse to deem themselves “exempt.” I’m pissed at the parts in myself that want to - and have - fallen back into the comfort of being white and privileged.

How many more calls to action will it take? This will not go away with Biden. Storming the capitol or not, these people will exist in our society. Their beliefs will hold strong. The lives, rights, and basic quality of life for our Black and Brown citizens will continue to suffer. What will you do?

On that note-

Mindfulness & Anti-Racism is still going strong, and we’d love to have you join us. 

I love you and sorry for yelling. I consider you family -chosenfamily - and as such I,strangely, expect even more from you than my actual family. Please don’t try to be here if you’re not willing to dive in. 

xoxo,

m.