We’re Not Helpless

Hope still lives as long as we keep going.

Photo by J W on Unsplash

I sat down with the intent to write about all the things we can still do to fight back against the current authoritarian regime. Like banding together, boycotting, organizing, calling out the injustices we continue to see, using our voices to fight tyranny. We absolutely need to do all of those things, and more. I have no doubt we will.

I came across a little story just now that someone shared on social media, it’s a made up dialogue between Pooh and Piglet that pierced me to my core. And completely derailed me from my original thoughts, but also tied into the main idea that we are not helpless. As long as we keep going with each other. I’ll share the full story in just a moment.

I know with every beat of my anxiety ridden heart that things are scary and feel so out of control right now. I know that we are all facing uphill battles that we don’t speak about. I know that by design this current coup is meant to overwhelm us and beat us down. We cannot afford to let it.

We need each other now more than ever. And I will keep repeating that every time I write here. I’ll write more in a few days about people to learn from, ideas I have with actionable steps, and ways we can support each other. For now, I’ll leave you with this story that may seem childish because it’s cartoon characters speaking, but really holds the truth of something we all can do for each other.

Stay safe. Help where and when you can. Keep dissenting. 🩵

"Piglet?" said Pooh.

"Yes?" said Piglet.

"I'm scared," said Pooh.

For a moment, there was silence.

"Would you like to talk about it?" asked Piglet, when Pooh didn't appear to be saying anything further.

"I'm just so scared," blurted out Pooh.

"So anxious. Because I don't feel like things are getting any better. If anything, I feel like they might be getting worse. People are angry, because they're so scared, and they're turning on one another, and there seems to be no clear plan out of here, and I worry about my friends and the people I love, and I wish SO much that I could give them all a hug, and oh, Piglet! I am so scared, and I cannot tell you how much I wish it wasn't so."

Piglet was thoughtful, as he looked out at the blue of the skies, peeping between the branches of the trees in the Hundred Acre Wood, and listened to his friend.

"I'm here," he said, simply. "I hear you, Pooh. And I'm here."

For a moment, Pooh was perplexed.

"But... aren't you going to tell me not to be so silly? That I should stop getting myself into a state and pull myself together? That it's hard for everyone right now?"

"No," said Piglet, quite decisively. "No, I am very much not going to do any of those things."

“But - " said Pooh.

"I can't change the world right now," continued Piglet. "And I am not going to patronise you with platitudes about how everything will be okay, because I don't know that.

"What I can do, though, Pooh, is that I can make sure that you know that I am here. And that I will always be here, to listen; and to support you; and for you to know that you are heard.

"I can't make those Anxious Feelings go away, not really.

"But I can promise you that, all the time I have breath left in my body...you won't ever need to feel those Anxious Feelings alone."

And it was a strange thing, because even as Piglet said that, Pooh could feel some of those Anxious Feelings start to loosen their grip on him and could feel one or two of them start to slither away into the forest, cowed by his friend, who sat there stolidly next to him.

Pooh thought he had never been more grateful to have Piglet in his life.

(Author unknown.. if you know, please share so I can credit them. I found this on a SM page floating around the internet.)

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The Rage of Men