Moving forward can feel overwhelming, especially in times like these. Persistence is hard. Hope is either elusive because we are not really sure what we hope for, or disappointing because we hope in what we know more than what is becoming.
When we imagine something different, I think most of us simply imagine the opposite of what already is. . . but, too often, the opposite only transfers the injustice to someone else. So rather than aim for the opposite; I am working on the option no one else has imagined yet: we’ll call it Option Asterisk.
I think we can do better than the opposite of what we have known. Actually, I think we already are. Because while people may think that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, I believe we are better because we are more aware of each other now than we were 20 years ago. MeToo movements, Black Lives Matter, protests, inclusive language and a host of other changes tell us that as a society, we understand the dignity of each other more than we once did. And that awareness has left us unsatisfied with old ideas we once accepted as truth.
We are learning that change is not just about action; change is about motivations.
There is a difference between wanting a solution and being ready for one. The latter takes work, but we don’t do the work if we don’t have a reason. And if we ever had a chance to truly reimagine and revolutionize our world – it is now. . . if we are willing to do the work. If we don’t simply rush to return and reopen, because all those are the options we know.
Our awareness opens the door for something much better than the opposite of what we have known – and for now we’ll call it option asterisk. May the work begin.