Since Election Day I, like many of you, have been thinking about what the future holds. Our conversation has shifted from polling numbers and what states we can carry to cabinet positions and how relieved we all are. While these are important things, I keep going back to the basis of this election. It was about US, not him. It is about bottom up change with top down leadership to help that change along.
So, while it's nice that we are discussing the top down leadership that is being implemented, debating the pros and cons, putting forth ideas and making plans to "hold their feet to the fire", there seems to be a neglect on the bottom up change.
I've never been one to volunteer or get involved in causes directly. I will donate money, if I can. I like to read and discuss...but when it comes to doing? Heh...not so much.
This campaign was different for a lot of people. It was for me. I gave money and I never had given to a political campaign before. I made phone calls, and I had never done that before, either. At the end of this campaign...we have a lot of people who have stepped up and stepped outside of their comfort-zones and a think a lot (not all) are slipping back into the computer chair.
Surfing the political blogs each night is fine. We can tell ourselves that we are impacting the world in which we live...and we are to a degree...however, the impact isn't as great as it could be. Think of it this way. How effective would President-Elect Brack Obama have been if he tried to be a community organizer solely from the comfort of his computer chair? My guess is not very. While we have a fantastic and organized community here, I think it is important to note that a lot (not all) of what is talked about here is just that, talk.
Talk has an important place. It's where ideas are born and tested. It's where we can hash things out and gather information. It's where we can share our experience and ask for advice. It's where we can be told, "Hey, you're really off-base." or "Hey, you're really onto something."
Talk doesn't take the place of DOING. We cannot and should not (IMO) expect our government to do it all. So, I am asking what are your plans? Do you have an organization you donate to? Are you active in your community? Could you be? Should you be?