I’ve been on a Macy Gray kick recently…. And so Saturday, in the Texas sun, when I found myself hellbent over a shovel, dust flying into my face, and turning up old patches of dirt, her song jumped into my head.
Get up, get out, and do something. How will you make it if you never ever try??
Saturday, I was helping to turn one women’s front yard into a community farm for the whole neighborhood.
But I went because Obama’s team of young upstarts – Organizing for America – asked me to go.
And because I love gardening, but only sorta know what I’m doing, and I’m not sure that hauling amps over my head counts as actual exercise.
Lessons learned.
1) It’s fun to sweat, and build stuff, and meet your neighbors.
2) Learning how to do something that most people turn to a fix-it guy for makes you feel bad-ass.
3) We can sit here all day and debate economic policy, or how Obama has failed to create the revolution we were hoping for, or how the Republicans will destroy the country… Meanwhile, some people are out there doing stuff. Truth is, a lot of change happens from the bottom up.
Take it from Macy Gray….
Here’s the link if the video does not appear on your browser, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OHPY3MyUlI
Honestly, I would devote one Saturday a month to helping people I respect make something happen. Austinites, wanna recruit me??? Tell me ‘bout your project.
