A Note to Introverts in Trying Times

I wrote the following words on a personal page, and found that they struck a chord with some folks. So, I decided to make them a bit more public. Dear ones, we are living in a moment of huge overwhelm. Generational traumas, historical traumas, and fear rule our daily landscape. I see so many loved ones in my life caught in a hurricane. They want to help. They want to *do* something. But despair is eating them alive. These words are for them, and maybe they're for you too. So, I want to talk to my fellow Hufflepuffs and/or introverts out there.

Let me just say first that I know how awful this is. I know you are all feeling it and you want to get in the streets and scream at the sky and make change now. Believe me, I know.

And? And. I want to encourage you to think carefully about what your contributions are and where your talents lie.

I'm an introvert and a Hufflepuff. I'm not a Gryffindor. Going in with drawn sword and a shining banner sounds awesome but the truth is I can't muster that because it's not who I am. And that's okay. As a dear friend said to me today, you cannot have an army made up solely of archers or solely of cavalry. That's an ineffective force.

We need medics. We need MASH units. We need people interested in magic and medicine who can fill the houses of healing. People who bring water, staunch the bleeding, hold the trembling hands, find the blankets.

We also need to rest. Not laze. REST. Real rest is not complacency. Intentional, thoughtful rest is a reclamation of joy and a denial of despair. It is a denunciation of a capitalist system that would reduce your value to the output of your labor.

So rest. We have miles to go before the end, my loves.

For me, I am spending my days in the mental health medical tent, doing what I can, serving those who would otherwise be turned away from services they deserve as a human right.

Please, if you have the physical ability and mental/emotional wherewithal to protest and get out there, DO. IT. If you don't, please don't waste time feeling bad. The world does not benefit from your self-flagellation. Instead, consider your talents. Where *can* you contribute?

If you're not a knight, that's okay. If you're not skilled with a sword that's okay. Maybe you're a storyteller and you work for Pottercast. Maybe you know herblore and work at St. Mungo's. We cannot win without a multifaceted force.

In the spirit of John Wesley, you need only do all the good you can, wherever you can. Start where you are. The domestic violence shelter in your town still needs donations of tampons and other essentials. There are people where you live who need to be fed. There are children who need mentors. There are elders who need love. There are candidates not taking money from PACs who could use 5-15 bucks if you have it to spare.

Start where you are. But *do start.* That's all that is required of you.