The Calvary is Not Coming

Hey friends 👋,

This is probably obvious, but I am someone that likes to know things.

Sometimes, that pursuit of knowledge comes from a place of pure curiosity. But often times, it is the way I seek safety. Understanding the unknown provides me with a sense of confidence and comfort in uncertain times.

Lately though, knowing more about what's going on in our world has had the opposite effect. I don't come away empowered by knowledge. I am petrified by it.

So, I've basically stopped consuming news.

I don't want to be an "uninformed citizen". I do still keep up with a few podcasts. But I just can no longer believe that being overloaded by information is making things better for anyone.

Constantly consuming the chaos our country is in doesn't make me feel more inspired to act. If anything, it makes me feel more nihilistic. The problems are expanding. The powerful are becoming more powerful. The deck is stacked further and further against us.

And there's seemingly nothing I can do because it doesn't seem like anyone is doing anything.

Under the surface, I feel like this is the real reason we all glue ourselves to our phones. We're waiting for word that someone has stepped in – stepped up. We're waiting for a hero to come save us. We're waiting for the calvary to come.

But here's the unfortunate truth: no one is coming.

There is no hero waiting in the wings for their cue to come on stage. There is no guarantee that our institutions hold, our representatives fight for us, and that our country itself even remains.

We face grave threats.

Threats to who gets to be called "American". Threats to who you're allowed to love. Threats to whether you can vote. Threats to what you can do with your body. Threats to what religion you're allowed to practice. Threats to what books you're allowed to read. Threats to what you're allowed to believe.

However, the biggest threat to our neighbors, our families, and our democracy right now is us.

We can't rely on others to defend our democracy. We have to defend it. Heroes aren't going to appear out of the ether. If they appear at all, they will be molded, made, and discovered by us.

The calvary is not coming because we are the calvary.

Yesterday, inspired by the courage others in my life have shown to stand up and fight, I went to my town's local Mayday Protest.

And I can tell you, it felt so much better being on the street holding a sign than it ever did being at home holding my phone.

Until next time,
Drew