Yes, I'm Angry
Good thing it can turn into optimism
I ended Mother’s Day this year on the floor crying. I had just finished some (doom) scrolling on social media (don’t we all go there sometimes) and consumed a great deal of content from the dire situation in Gaza. As a mom, especially on Mother’s Day, what I saw hit both deep and hard.
I told my husband, who was sitting on the couch beside me, that I needed to cry a little.
“Why do you watch all that content?” He asked me, “It won’t make you feel good.”
I responded that I don’t always have to feel good, but that I need to know, my heart needs to know. It’s an important practice for my emotional resiliency to stay attuned to what’s going on and let my heart take it in bite-size pieces, to understand that even if it hurts, I can take the pain.
He allowed the conversation to unfold and as the tears rolled down my face, I also expressed my anger toward all the resistance (especially politically) against fighting climate change. THIS IS CRUEL! People are already suffering around the world and as the globe continues to heat, more and more people will face critical conditions, migration, and even death*.
I told him about a recent article in the Guardian where 380 climate scientists had been asked how they feel about the future. Their responses were dire:
“Hopeless and broken” was a common theme. One scientist said, “I’m relieved I do not have children, knowing what the future holds.”
I shared this with a broken voice as our daughter was asleep in the room above.
*It’s estimated that 1.2 billion people could be displaced in 2050 due to climate and weather-related events. Source: Vox
Time to Get Angry
A few days ago I shared an Instagram story about the news that Trump has asked oil CEOs for $1 billion in campaign money, with the promise that he in return will reverse President Biden’s environmental policies and stop new ones from being enacted. I got a response in my DM from a person who asked:
“How do you stay optimistic with this news?”
The answer is it doesn’t make me optimistic at all, it makes me angry. So incredibly angry! But that anger fuels my commitment to act and in that commitment, optimism grows.
Optimism + Politics
Optimism is not a fleeting, wishful desire for a better world. Optimism is a practice that requires hard work, consistency, and commitment. Optimism isn’t chosen, it’s earned. And sometimes, preferably on a somewhat regular basis, it requires us to get angry.
Yes, I’m so damn angry with the world. I’m angry with greedy people who don’t care about anything other than power and money. I’m angry with ignorant people who pretend not to know, or who express they don’t want to. On some days, I’m even angry with myself, because I know I can probably do more.
But when I foster that anger and focus it where I can make a real difference, I remember all the things worth getting excited about and how important it is to put my energy where it matters: creating radical change.
It’s a big election year. The EU election is coming up and for anyone who can vote there, please vote for candidates with climate and people’s health high on the agenda!
This fall we have a scary election here in the US, with a clown we know will do everything in his power to backtrack the climate wins we’ve celebrated in this country over the past couple of years. If you’re a US citizen, please do vote, and make it your mission this summer to get as many of your friends and family on our side as possible!
Politics can be touchy but that doesn’t mean we should lurk in the shadows. Let’s face these conversations head on and let’s get a little angry about the fact that some people are trying to destroy every chance we have at a livable future. Do everything in your power to make sure that won’t happen.
Gather your allies, call in your troops, and let’s get stronger together!
Speaking of committed optimism,
Here’s a reel I posted in collaboration with Project Drawdown to explore what motherhood in a climate-changing world can look like.
Currently Reading
Cheaper Faster Better by Tom Steyer. I’m only a few chapters in but it’s SO good. Read this book for a very practical (and quite obvious) look at our climate future and what’s possible.
Just Finished
The Fifth Season with N.K. Jemisin. If you’re looking for a climate fiction to dive your head into this summer, let this be your book! A true page-turner and worth every minute you spend reading it.
What Are You Reading?
I would love to hear what’s on your reading list this summer, or if there’s a book you just finished and can’t stop thinking about. Please share in the comment section below!
Lastly…
I’m thrilled to announce that I’m officially the first Ambassador for Imagine 5’s new ambassador program! I can’t wait to share all the content and resources we will co-create in the coming year!
My favorite book at the moment is The Quickening, creation and community at the ends of the earth by Elizabeth Rush. It is the story of a scientific expedition to Antarctica through the eyes of a young woman writer considering whether to have children. It is a perfect Mothers' Day read.