Dispatch from the Airport Lounge on the Cusp of an Election

Musings on the moment, how we choose to show up to it, and in all the moments that come after it

The Orator by Magnus Zeller; Germany 1888-1972; on display at LACMA. The following is text from the display: Magnus Zeller was among the second generation of German Expressionist artists who came of age at the end of WW1. As Germany’s defeat in the war and the subsequent downfall of the monarch brought on a nationwide revolution, those eager for dramatic political change were optimistic. Artists believed they would play an important role in building a better society and joined together in groups such as the Working Council for Art. Idealism gave way to disillusionment as the revolution grew violent and the new republic government failed to realize its lofty ambitions. In The Orator, Zeller portrays the religious dimension of modern politics, which incites ecstatic devotion in its followers. The charismatic speaker, more preacher than politician, may have been inspired by the Communist leader Karl Liebknecht, who Zeller saw in Berlin before Liebknecht’s murder by right-wing forces in 1919.

I’m currently staring at the tarmac overlooking a smattering of Delta planes at LAX, where I’ve just finished up a solo vacation to visit various friends and celebrate my favorite holiday (Halloween) and kick off my birthday month. It was a trip I meant to take in 2020 to celebrate turning 40, but you can imagine why it didn’t end up happening.

I am strangely calm. For me it doesn’t feel that strange, but I imagine to others it seems strange that I would be. However, I’ve worked really hard over the past couple of years to practice the sense of calm I feel right now. I’m proud of this, and the credit really goes to my mentor and friend Jade Duggan.

Part of what helps is remembering in any moment I have a choice. I may not always like my available choices, but I get to choose what I do, or don’t do, next. I get to choose what kind of presence I bring to any given moment and any setting.

I don’t know if on Tuesday night we’ll know our next President. If we do, I don’t know if I’ll like the outcome. Even if I like the outcome, I don’t know what violence and unrest might follow. I also know that even if a Harris/Walz ticket wins, there will be many non-Trump supporters that feel conflicted and/or upset as well.

One thing I’ve seen in this election that feels exciting and hopeful is how involved so many people became. Many people who had never helped out in electoral work before did so for the first time. My own kid, voting in a presidential election for the first time, received four handwritten postcards and one letter. (I’m very sentimental and I will be saving them.)

My hope is that it doesn’t stop. I fear people who feel they’ve “completed the assignment” by voting (which isn’t completing the assignment, but that’s a different post) will check out for the next four years, which is one of the worst things that could happen.

There’s so much more to governance, policy change, and what happens in our day-to-day lives than just who we vote for at the top of the ticket every four years. That definitely matters, but there’s so much that happens at a community level too. It’s not always fun or interesting to participate in. It can sometimes even be confusing to get information about it. Often, it requires additional unpaid labor on top of already busy lives.

This is why not everyone needs to hold a local office. This is why not everyone needs to do the same things to help out in their communities. Nor do we have to fill our calendars endlessly to our own detriment. But change requires presence and community.

Often, community is messy. Change is messy. It’s not as simple as posting an opinion on social media or sharing an article and feeling like you accomplished something.

Sometimes it’s nervously stating your opinion at your City Council meeting with a shaky voice and shaking hands. Or starting a book club in your neighborhood so you can better get to know your neighbors. Or joining your library board because you believe in libraries and want to protect them.

Not sure where to start or what to do? Lucky you…I wrote a book for that! There’s both an e-reader and paperback version.

Now I need to grab more snacks, refill my water bottle, and head to my gate.

(If you have voting questions, please remember that no question is a dumb one! Just message me and I can help! Voting can be confusing and I’m happy to help, but vote.gov and vote411.org are great places to start.)