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Better Late Than Never

The Cycle of Taking a Stand

PLUS: That side of me... you know--the one I can't always rein in ;)
pink knit hats feminism
Hats I knit for the Women's March

If you know me as a blogger, you're likely most familiar with my thrift-store and DIY obsessions (hence my blog A Thrifter in Disguise).  Maybe I encouraged you to make your own Halloween costume or pick up knitting as a hobby (or maybe I even knitted one of those hats above for you)!

Now, if you know me at all as a living-breathing person, you're likely familiar with my tendency to vocalize my opinions... particularly when I feel a situation is unjust. Perhaps you've been in the room when I openly engaged in a debate with a friend. Or maybe you and I were in a meeting when I repeatedly questioned a person in a position of authority. Maybe you had me to thank for the removal of dreaded "required reading" responsibilities at the workplace?  ;)  Either way, if you know me as a person... you likely know "that side of me" (and *hopefully* love me for it? Ok, maybe I'm pushing it a little there).

But it's "that side of me" that has got me toying with this new blog idea. Because I just can't turn "that side of me" off (trust me, I've tried). To complicate matters, I've recently found myself involved in local politics. This is not a familiar space for me. I NEVER liked history class, my voting history is comprised of solely presidential elections, and I HATE Roberts Rules of Order.... So, up to this point, I've largely stayed out of politics.

But this time, my family is directly impacted by decisions being made in our town, and I've felt called to get involved. Yes, I'm late to the party (see what I did there--working in the new blog name?), but I'm here now, and I'm starting to run into what has become a familiar space--that "side of me" I mentioned earlier.

I think "naming your feelings" is a tried-and-true therapeutic technique... so I've decided to name this familiar "experience," if you will. I'm calling it "The Cycle of Taking a Stand." In general, here's how it works for me:

The Cycle of Taking a Stand
  • Step 1: Something seems off to me: I have a keen eye for injustice, and when I perceive that people are being treated unfairly or aren't being represented correctly, my gut sends me a strong signal. Not necessarily a scientific process, but I've learned to trust my intuition.
  • Step 2: Upon "investigation," my concerns are validated: You guessed it -- I determine other people feel the same way, but they don't want to 'rock the boat,' so they don't share their thoughts publicly.
  • Step 3: I confront the concerns and receive (inevitable) push-back: But then when I look around for those people who I know agree with me... they're suddenly hard to find.
  • Step 4: Discouragement sets in.
be the change
A thank you note from a friend who attended the march
with one of those hats--always a good reminder for me!

Now, I'm working on that last one... because it's REALLY hard to stay motivated sometimes when you're the one "sticking your neck out." But over and over I feel validated when people approach me and thank me for what I'm doing and saying, because they just didn't feel comfortable doing it themselves.

I used to get really frustrated by "Step 4" of the cycle... now I just get mildly frustrated. Because I know it's a cycle, and I know that I'm ultimately doing the right thing. And I know that I can handle the push-back, because I've been doing it for years. That's not to say it gets easier, but at least it helps me put things in perspective when I reach that point again.

Interested in following me on this journey? Maybe even JOINING me on this journey? Get in touch, or just keep reading along.




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