Thursday, 8 Jan 2004

BEREA, Ky.

It came to me as we were “checking in” today at a meeting of HEAL, our campus environmental organization. Finally, on the third day of classes in my eighth semester as a college student and, not coincidentally, an activist, it hit me. My turn came around the table, and I blurted out with eyes wide open, “I don’t know how I am going to get all this done.” Much to my own surprise, I proceeded to ask everyone at the meeting for any time or help they could offer. No shame. I felt like I had just graduated from a 12-step program that made me wear a sign saying, “Confront me now if I don’t ask for help.”

Knowing we would be discussing our plans for this January term, I had finished a ridiculous to-do list before the meeting. The feel-good, look-what-we-accomplished-the-past-year attitude can only last so long, and today I felt it starting to fade. It is time to buckle down and do what needs to be done.

Along with the mega to-do list, at the start of every year I attempt to prioritize my life. I inevitably end up with less of a list and more a group of three clumps. The first is family and loved ones — easy enough. The second is schoolwork (investment in my future ability to do good), Youth Power Shift (national organizing), and HEAL (local organizing). The third clump is everything else, some of which remains in limbo; I see the value of music and art and reflection.

For my 21st birthday, my parents gave me an old violin. I started teaching myself what I could, and for the past three months a friend has been teaching me fiddle music. I can’t believe I waited 21 years to make such sound! Everyone should know what it is to create music. I can feel the stress melt away as I simply pick up the violin. Yes, there is much to be done, but I am reminded of a saying: “Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace within.” I believe music can provide such peace in a world shadowed by systematic destruction.

Another way to find peace is to work to calm the storm. Resistance is sacred. Sir Peter Scott, founder of WWF, said, “We shan’t save all we should like to, but we shall save a great deal more than if we had never tried.”

Late last night, my phone rang (if you ever need to get in touch with a college student, I find the optimal hours to be between about 9:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.) and I found myself lying in the middle of my hardwood floor (I have a spacious room for the average student living on campus) talking with Josh, co-coordinator of Youth Power Shift. I enjoyed the brief period of relaxation without a book or computer screen in front of my eyes. We are excited to get together this weekend in “Philly” and hash out our vision for the coming year. Also, I am looking forward to finally basking, ever so slightly, with Josh in that look-at-what-we-accomplished-this-year feeling. One such accomplishment was our first ever Youth Power Shift National Day of Action. We had a modest goal of recruiting 25 schools, but in the end 60 schools participated in solidarity as we raised awareness and communicated with our administrations the need for clean renewable energy standards.

It was a brief conversation, then it was time to sit up and get back to the books … but first, just a few minutes of “Boil Them Cabbage Down,” my first fiddle tune.