"We live in an occupied country, misunderstood;

Justice will take us millions of intricate moves."

--William Stafford

The first week of 2.0 has been an avalanche of the absurd and the cruel, the ridiculous and the outrageous, meant to stun the opposition into a numb paralysis.

Just keeping up with the onslaught has been intentionally impossible. Trying to figure out where to start is overwhelming. This past week, I have alternated between sheer terror and outright panic, deep exhaustion and grim determination.

The deluge is nearly enough to make me forget the real threat: hopelessness. That because I can't save everything, I won't try to save anything.

But Stafford reminds us that change isn't all or nothing. It is not an on-off switch. His use of the word intricate is precise and intentional. Intricate moves require cooperation. They rely on a willingness to engage with the unknown, to work toward an outcome we may not see but in which we deeply believe.

A million intricate moves, a million people taking the first step, is the antidote to profound despair.

I tried my best to avert this particular disaster. I sent letters, telling people how to obtain the ID they needed to vote under new and strict laws. I wrote postcards and made phone calls, urging people to vote for candidates who support basic human rights and environmental protections. I knocked on doors in Arizona and notified people when their ballot had been rejected due to a technicality. But it wasn't enough.

I wanted so much for my work to be over. I fervently hoped that the election would turn out otherwise so that I could--at least temporarily--attend to the hundreds of things that demand my time and attention and are neglected on a daily basis: the dishes, the laundry, my dear family and friends.

But my work isn't over. And the hard truth is, it wouldn't have been over either way. I have to keep working to protect all that I love no matter the outcome of any one election.

I have to be ready to do the next right thing, to move forward, into the oncoming tide.