Personal Update: Rage Against the Dying of the Light

I have been away from writing here for an entire month. It was a combination of travel followed by a health crisis that is now thankfully nearly over (a “routine” surgery that turned out to be anything but). But there is also an underlying frustration that makes it at times difficult to know what to say at all. We are living in times of the omnicrisis and yet so many people seem to just want to get on with their lives. They want to do their thing, whatever that may be, as if there was nothing wrong with the climate and democracy wasn’t under attack (and along with it women’s rights).

People seem to recognize for brief moments that there are massive problems. But then they immediately return to just wanting to continue with their lives. Maybe it is out of a sense of helplessness. What could I do about these crises? Maybe it is because they believe that others are on the case. These problems can’t be so bad, someone must be solving them. Maybe it is out of a sense of entitlement. I have worked hard so I can afford X and so X is what I am going to do now. I can’t tell. All I know is that I often feel surrounded by people sleepwalking into hell. It is the real life version of “Don’t Look Up.”

It is a profoundly frustrating feeling. Especially when it comes to people who have the means to spend aggressively on both climate and democracy but choose not to do so. Frustrating maybe isn’t quite enough. Enraged is more how I have felt lately at those with means who refuse to spend aggressively. Thankfully I have ways of channeling those feelings into action and I am resolved to double down on many of the efforts that Susan and I have already kicked off ourselves and/or supported. In that regard having been sick was a blessing as it has helped focus my mind.