As I write this, my head and heart are still in turmoil from the events of the past month south of the border (and frighteningly, the Trump effect has reared its ugly head within our Canadian borders as well). Thank goodness this message is always the last thing I write for each issue of On The Bay, and thank goodness this issue features our 10th Annual Salute to Grassroots Heroes.
I interviewed our Grassroots Heroes prior to the election mayhem, and as always, I was inspired by the people who give of their time, energy and enthusiasm to help make a difference in our community. But then the U.S. elected a man to its highest office who spews hatred, foments fear and behaves like the worst kind of schoolyard bully – the kind with money and power.
How, I thought, can I muster the upbeat, uplifting tone that the Grassroots Heroes stories deserve? How can I write about the light when there is so much darkness in the world? I felt like my mind was swimming in molasses, and my heart? It actually felt broken.
My only regret is that I didn’t sit down to write sooner, because as I wrote about these amazing people – their kindness, generosity of spirit, and willingness to give of themselves to help others – my faith in humanity was restored. Not all of humanity – sadly, I have come to the rude awakening that some people are beyond redemption – but enough of humanity to be encouraged and even optimistic that all is not lost.
I have never been a “political” person, but I think we all now have a duty to be political given recent events. Which got me wondering, what does it mean to be political? And what exactly are my politics? I’ve always considered myself a moderate – conservative in some respects but staunchly liberal on cultural and social issues. I can no longer afford to be “middle of the road,” I realized. The time has come to take a stand.
My first inclination was to take a stand against something – against hatred, against racism, against xenophobia. But I needed to stand for something as well, in order not to be eaten up by the same hostility and loathing that got us into this mess.
That’s where our Grassroots Heroes came in. As I wrote, I felt a lightness enter my spirit, along with a strong resolve. And suddenly I knew: my politics are the Politics of Caring. Those are the politics I am willing to fight for, and I know that, regardless of party affiliation or political bent, every single one of the 100-plus heroes we have featured over the past 10 years practices the Politics of Caring every day – lovingly, unwaveringly, and with a dignity and strength of character that I can only hope is contagious.
Ironically, the quotation I cited in my 2006 editor’s message about our very first Salute to Grassroots Heroes is even more apropos today: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Doing nothing is not an option I could live with, and neither is fighting evil without also appreciating the good.
May we all commit to the Politics of Caring in 2017. ❧
