I share your anxiety. Especially now that I live in a red state (Indiana). But I've been back in NYC this last week (for DocNYC and other reasons). where I lived most of my life. And what I see is that the most anxious people are my well-to-do friends in New York City. Most have no idea what it's like where I am. I don't blame them, it's a big country, but we sure are in our bubbles, everywhere. I've been working on this doc about an LGBTQ community center in a rural, conservative Indiana town. They've been able to win over a lot of people, surprisingly. It's a little glimmer of hope. After the election, I texted the founders, to share my own anxiety. They replied:
"Hang in there, my friend. We will weather the storm. We are not alone. We have such a wonderful community of volunteers/ We just need to pull together. Hugs to you." So I hope to hang onto to those words. Not only for the story, but for myself !
Thanks for sharing that, Mitch. Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in these national tribal arguments, when the local realities are far more nuanced.
Thanks for writing this Anthony. Doc Channel is trying out a beta test to relaunch as a streaming service. If enough of us get behind them perhaps they can be an alternative?
The handmaid's tale coming out in 2017 after the last time Trump was elected does give me hope that we can have a surgence (even if we've learned nothing)
Perhaps we are so far down now, it all looks like up? I am confident that things will get better, and it is not in spite of the conditions, but directly attributable: the pain of the present out weighs our fear of the future… right?
It seems to me you are confronting them and not ignoring them, and that is the path to action and change. Previously everyone just moped and complained and thus got stuck doing nothing. Change is coming. This time it is two steps forward for everyone that is pushed back.
I share your anxiety. Especially now that I live in a red state (Indiana). But I've been back in NYC this last week (for DocNYC and other reasons). where I lived most of my life. And what I see is that the most anxious people are my well-to-do friends in New York City. Most have no idea what it's like where I am. I don't blame them, it's a big country, but we sure are in our bubbles, everywhere. I've been working on this doc about an LGBTQ community center in a rural, conservative Indiana town. They've been able to win over a lot of people, surprisingly. It's a little glimmer of hope. After the election, I texted the founders, to share my own anxiety. They replied:
"Hang in there, my friend. We will weather the storm. We are not alone. We have such a wonderful community of volunteers/ We just need to pull together. Hugs to you." So I hope to hang onto to those words. Not only for the story, but for myself !
Thanks for sharing that, Mitch. Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in these national tribal arguments, when the local realities are far more nuanced.
You're welcome Anthony, thanks for continuing to write so well after all these years.
Thanks for writing this Anthony. Doc Channel is trying out a beta test to relaunch as a streaming service. If enough of us get behind them perhaps they can be an alternative?
https://documentarychannel.com/documentarychannel/home
Thanks for writing this Anthony. It’s a useful reminder that we all have to roll up our sleeves.
The handmaid's tale coming out in 2017 after the last time Trump was elected does give me hope that we can have a surgence (even if we've learned nothing)
I hope it goes really really dark.
Perhaps we are so far down now, it all looks like up? I am confident that things will get better, and it is not in spite of the conditions, but directly attributable: the pain of the present out weighs our fear of the future… right?
Personally, I would say my fears for the future are way more frightening and paralyzing than the pains of the present!
It seems to me you are confronting them and not ignoring them, and that is the path to action and change. Previously everyone just moped and complained and thus got stuck doing nothing. Change is coming. This time it is two steps forward for everyone that is pushed back.