Stay angry, little Meg. You will need all your anger now.
The title for today’s post come from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.
““Stay angry, little Meg,” Mrs Whatsit whispered. “You will need all your anger now.””
This has been a week, y’all.
For those of you anywhere in the path of Hurricane Ida, or what remained of that storm as it made its way north, I’m not telling you anything you don’t know.
Predictably, creeks, streams, and rivers flooded as Ida rained down on the east coast of the U.S. The New York City subways flooded, as happens when there’s a bunch of rain in the city.
Unpredictably, tornadoes spun up along her path as well. One passed by about 15 miles from our house. Here in Williamstown, on the day after the storm, you wouldn’t have known it rained—we had no downed trees or even puddles, despite the wind and the rain.
Over in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, which is only 15 miles from my house, an entire neighborhood was pretty much flattened. In nearby Pennsylvania, one town had its high school, elementary school, and town services building (holding the police and more) ripped apart.
And so it was from the time Ida made landfall in New Orleans until she made her way into New England.
One of my coaching clients who lives in NOLA is still without power, over a week after Ida made landfall. She is fortunate to have relatives nearby who are better off, so she is safe and able to access electricity and its cousin, air conditioning. Others in the city and in other parts of Louisiana aren’t so lucky, and may not have electricity for a while longer.
Meanwhile, in the West, the fires continue to burn. California has closed all its state forests to visitors due to fire risk. The lakes and reservoirs are precipitously low.
Mother Nature is pissed off, and she’s not the only one.
The same goes for nearly every person I know who identifies as female or non-binary. We’ve all been taught to swallow our anger from the time we were little. Taught to be seen but not heard. To be nice. To not make a scene.
Groomed to believe that the needs of others come first, always. That men are to be feared or coddled. That we need to “mother” everyone while denying our own needs.
Some of us—okay, let’s face it, MOST of us—have experienced sexism in school and in the workplace. We have experienced sexual harassment, either overtly or otherwise, wherever we go in the world, whether it’s walking down the street or shopping in the frozen food aisle or at a place of worship or at work.
Many of us have faced one or more forms of assault, from emotional or verbal attacks to physical or sexual ones. Because other people feel entitled to our bodies, and want to keep us feeling less than, and afraid.
No wonder most of us go about our lives in a state of barely suppressed rage.
This week, the Texas law refusing abortion care to people who know they are pregnant was allowed to stand, at least for the time being. Technically, it’s phrased as abortion being disallowed once there is a fetal heartbeat detected, but that is something that occurs before a lot of people realize they are pregnant.
As a “bonus,” a bounty is offered to anyone who reports a pregnant person for having an abortion, or anyone at all for even intending to help the pregnant person—which includes Lyft drivers and more. (Lyft put out a statement vowing to defend its drivers, but still!)
There are no penalties for men who impregnate a person without their consent—in fact, it appears a guy could rape someone, impregnate them, then report them for wanting an abortion and collect $10K.
This law imposes forced pregnancy, without any care or consideration of the physical and mental health of the person carrying the fetus. Without any acknowledgment of the physical and monetary burden being placed on them. Without caring about any of the circumstances at all, or caring whether that person wants to be pregnant or not.
But the lawmakers are doing this with full knowledge that forcing people—especially people without economic resources—into an unwanted pregnancy will keep them back, keep them down. Keep them in their place.
If you, like me, are outraged about this particular development, there are still things that can be done. There are organizations on the ground that you can support, whether it’s the ACLU or Jane’s Due Process (recommended by a Texas friend). If you want to donate to help those affected by the storm, you might try The American Red Cross or World Central Kitchen
It is freaking exhausting being so damn angry all. the. time.
And all of this doesn’t take into account the rolling trauma from the pandemic. The dealing with issues at work and at home. The need to do the shopping and cooking and cleaning. The need to take care of kids or parents or both.
If you are feeling extra tired and extra overwhelmed, I understand.
I am with you.
I see you.
Drop me a comment or contact me with a private message if you prefer and let me know how I help.
Sign up for Falling for Fall
Even if you can’t make it to a Zoom call, you can totally sign up for the 5-day challenge, participate in Fall Bingo, and be eligible for prizes. Did I mention that it’s FREE?
