So, my career here at DK hasn't been long like the originals, diary-filled like the wise and the wordy, or even comment-heavy like some enjoy. It's been mostly quiet, reading and watching from the sidelines, getting involved when and where I can when I see an action item, and enjoying TDS and TCR reaction diaries.
But DK has made a difference to me, and so I thought I'd share how.
Hard times have hit everyone - and I'm no different than the rest. First I waved bye to phone, then my cable, then the internets, and now I wave bye to my home. I'm lucky - I start a job Monday. But not lucky enough to pay rent this month. So I don't know when or how or if I'll be back. But DK has meant something to me, over the past year or two. And ya'll don't get how much.
Seriously, I once was one of those people.
One of them - whose opinion on the presidency was 'eh, he looks like he'd be a nice guy and good to have a beer with.' I didn't care about what went on in Washington, because no one there cares about lil ol' me here in Nebraska where the biggest concern is whether or not the Huskers won and if the farmers were going to keep getting their subsidies. I didn't understand prejudice except that it seemed totally unfair that a friend of mine who might be female but dress male got teased and named called all the time - she was a cool gal but I didn't get it. I didn't understand why the foreign exchange student from Mexico who wanted to be a doctor and in all my bio classes was treated any different than the Swedish exchange student who played tennis.
Yeah - I was one of them. Live and let live, just worry about my POV, because it wasn't like I could do anything anyways. Didn't vote, didn't care, didn't think anyone cared about us or that one person mattered.
Then one day I was bored at my former place of employment and searched for 'liberal blog' because while I had no interest in politics, didn't really get the difference between Republicans and Democrats, I was curious what these crazy liberal people were talking about.
And that's how I stumbled onto DK.
I followed it for months, all the diaries, all the politics, all the information (and the pie!) before I finally signed up with a user name, not because I had anything to share but I just wanted to be part of it. I was reading about gay marriage and FISA and seriously - that's what politicians do on the floor of the Senate? Really?
I watched CSPAN...and enjoyed it.
How crazy, right?
I found myself cheering on Dodd and Kucinich and cringing every time a Senator from Nebraska was shown because really - embarrassing.
Next thing I knew, I was calling my Senators and protesting the FISA stuff. I was calling other people's Senators and making my opinions known on environmental and feminist issues. I was raising money at work for San Diego charities and Galveston charities I knew were good ones thanks to diaries here. I was writing my local paper about the elections and Obama and trying to get in an editorial here or there. Never did, still don't think I have the cred for those articles that seem to magically flow from everyone's fingertips around here. But that's the thing - I cared. I actually cared about politics and what was happening. I learned the differences between a Republican and a Democrat. And that never would have happened, just a few years back.
Ya'll made me care about politics. Seriously, what's up with that?
So thanks, and keep up the good fight, no matter how much pie is involved. Because while those people might be mocked and scorned - speak logically enough and keep trying and you can change their minds.
You changed mine.
I care and while I'm only one, I'm not fighting alone.
- Sarah