Pete Seeger, the great folk musician, gave an interview in 2004 on Democracy Now! in which he described the injustices of the world as a box of rocks on a giant teeter-totter, with a box on the other end that is a quarter full of sand, and all of the people working against injustice are pouring in teaspoons of sand into that box, one at a time.
I, like many, am finding it hard to create new work during this time of two wars and grief and lamentation. I have my own griefs, as well as the grief of the world that seems to have cracked open.
And we think, “One of these years, you’ll see that whole seesaw go zooop in the other direction.” And people will say, “Gee, how did it happen so suddenly?” Us and all our little teaspoons.
I want to believe that Seeger was right. And maybe a teaspoon is the right size for my share of the justice that can help tip the teeter-totter.
My teaspoon is showing up to the community garden.
My teaspoon is serving on the strategic planning and fundraising committees for my amazing synagogue.
My teaspoon is raising two kids to be aware, critical thinkers who are functional parts of their community.
My teaspoon is working to lift up and organize women-owned and Black-owned businesses to help reverse the wealth stripping and inequality this city has long imposed on its residents.
But things are weighing heavy, I’m not going to lie. My house is a wreck. I started a poem about my grandfather, and abandoned it. I started a longer researched post about his FBI file, that might be part of the book so I can’t share it here. I had to research the Six Day War of 1967 for the poem, and it sent me down a Kissinger rabbit hole that was exactly as dark as you’d expect. I’ve been out and about this weekend, a glass of wine at the bar and two lovely visits with friends. I took myself to the movies and saw the new Scorsese film, which was depressing and unwieldy at 3 hours and 26 minutes of historical interpretation of the murders of Osage people of Oklahoma from the 1920s. But it was good to be alone in the theater, good to have a little space and time to escape the orbit of *current* bad news. I hiked the woods and then the steepest hill in my neighborhood to condition myself for the trip I’ll be taking in 2 weeks. (no spoilers!) Walking has become another escape for me, one that recharges me physically and mentally — I’ve logged a decent number of bird species this weekend — but it crowds writing out of my schedule.
And tomorrow is another day. I’ll dip my teaspoon back into the sand and deliver it to the box on the teeter-totter. How are you doing? I hope, dear reader, that you and your loved ones are well and looking forward to the week. The comments are open, if you’d like to share.
In love and solidarity,
Mariya
What a great concept to think about. Especially when overwhelmed with drastic events it’s so necessary to keep filling up that side of the balance with enough cumulative acts to tip our children’s future into a sane and sustainable one. Thank you for this reminder.