"It took me 100 years to figure out that I can't change the world. I can only change Bessie." – Bessie Delany at age 102
I think of this quote from Having Our Say every time I feel frustrated and helpless about our country and the world today.
Realistically, what can I do to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine or Israel or Sudan?
Here in the U.S., our divisions are unlike anything I've experienced in my lifetime. It seems impossible to persuade anyone to consider an alternative point of view. We've become a nation of shouters, not listeners.
So, as Bessie noted, the only control we have is over ourselves. I can improve myself as a human being – and even that's not easy to do.
Most of us are taught that we can make a difference in life, that even the smallest gestures can impact someone's future in a positive way, and surely that's true. I'm not saying we should abandon those efforts. In fact, we should double-down on them in these hard times.
In the big picture, however, the deeper truth is that very few people (and I am not among them) have actual power in this world, and unfortunately, many of them wield that power in grotesque ways.
I can write letters. I can donate money. Probably the most important thing I can do is vote in November, and you can be sure that I will.