March On.
On Saturday me and 26,000 of my closest friends took to the steps of the Capitol to show a united front: one that believes that our voices should be heard. I'm admittedly not a loud and proud opinion haver. It's not like I don't believe deeply in things, that I don't have strong feelings about the world and my place in it. It's just that I have these beliefs tucked away in my head and my heart, not on my sleeve like my emotions. So when my friend Chelsea asked me to go with her to march for women's rights: I hesitated. [I know, I know, why would I hesitate?!]
What if I get lost in a mob? What if I have to go the bathroom? Could I chant with the crowd? What if something happened? How will I feel in a crowd that size? What if someone asks me to explain why I'm there? Why I'm marching?
And then, I just went. I just showed up. I put on my pink hat, squeezed Chelsea's hand and stepped out into the crowd. And you know what, I felt proud and strong and a small part of a big movement. I might not have chanted out loud (but believe me "this is what democracy looks like" is still ringing in my ears), I may not have carried a sign, I might not have joined hands or sang a song: but I showed up. I showed up and took action. And soon it became so clear #whyImarch.
I march for my sisters, for my mom, for Lois, For Auntie Ann, for my uncle ron, For Sara & Fawn, for my husband, For healthcare options, for the environment, for education, for the arts.
I march because while I might hold my beliefs quietly, a whole bunch of whispers, together, makes one hell of a yell.
Inspired by the www.womensmarch.com, I'm taking action and you can too. The powerhouse peeps behind the site have created a postcard you can send to your Senator. Fill your note with what's whispering in you to take action and use their handy tool to find the address of your local senator (I see you Joni Ernst.) If you want to send a little illustration I created the night before the March, here's a .pdf you can download and print on card stock to send a bonus postcard.