A couple of days ago, I published my first post on this blog and the Waking up US Substack. I shared it on a couple of subreddits - r/Political_Revolution & r/WayOfTheBern - and Bluesky. Before even the first upvote or comment made itself known, I felt a flood of emotions: fear, excitement, accomplishment, self doubt. My thoughts raced:

• What if this negatively impacts my family or career?
• What if I can’t make a difference?
• What if no one cares?

But, like others before it, this coin has two sides:

• What if this makes someone feel a little more hopeful?
• What if I can help others find their voice?
• What if this is the match that lights a movement - waking up people across America?

I watched eagerly as a handful of upvotes trickled in. Then came a thoughtful comment from a like-minded American. Then another! My first post didn’t go viral - and I didn’t expect it to. It showed me something important though - I’m not alone.

There are other people feeling the same pull. I just need to find them - or help them find me.

And the journey begins

For most of our lives, we have been conditioned to feel powerless and apathetic toward the actions (or inaction) of our government. The billionaire class wants us to lose faith our institutions and more importantly, to forget the power of the people. Our power.

• They want us distracted.
• They want us divided.
• They want us defeated.

Why?

Because history has proven that when we come together, we can accomplish anything. I firmly believe that we can restore power to the American people - our power, our people - by bringing our voices together.

This is a journey, and in this first leg, I’m finding my voice & sharing my path as I walk it. My hope is that it opens a path for others, and we can walk it together - side by side.

So… what can we do?

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

• John F. Kennedy

I’ll level with you: I’m still figuring that out. Here’s where I’m at right now:

The first step to fighting back and reclaiming our power is to open our eyes. This is not a time for apathy or distraction.

We have to truly see our government for what it has become: A broken system that works only for those with deep pockets and powerful friends.

We must witness, name, and reject the despicable acts being carried out by the current administration. They should be working to improve American lives and institutions, not waging culture wars of cruelty, stripping away our rights, illegally demolishing our institutions, and eliminating the jobs we depend on for our very survival.

If it’s hard to actively watch this all play out, that’s good. It means we’re not too late.

Take the frustration, heartache, and outrage you’re feeling as we watch our country unravel and use it as fuel to wake up others. You don’t have to start with something big. Start small:

• Share a post, article, podcast, or video that resonates with you.
• Talk to one person about how you’re feeling.
• Find or signal boost voices that align with yours.
• Call one representative - there are scripts and tools to make this easy.
• Write a blog post or social media post/comment - even just one sentence.

We may be living through an unprecedented time, but this is not the first unprecedented time. Never give up! We can get through this together.

There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.

• Franklin D. Roosevelt