It’s that time of year again when we reflect on things past and vow to do better moving forward. I always find the week between Christmas and New Year’s to be a time for reflection but I’ve given up, after all these years, on New Year’s resolutions, having failed miserably in the past to follow through on them.
The end of 2023 fills me with trepidation. We move into a year where horrific wars threaten to intensify in Gaza and Ukraine, where the effects of a changing climate become even more dire, and where democracy itself is endangered in the United States. Add to that the concerns about AI and it’s difficult to feel any sense of optimism moving forward.
So I was grateful to read Roger Rosenblatt’s New York Times guest essay this week, This Year, Make a Resolution About Something Bigger Than Yourself. Rosenblatt references Walt Whitman, who writes in Leaves of Grass: “This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone who asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy.”
Rosenblatt lays out his resolutions for us:
Personally, I vow that I will frequently visit a children’s hospital and try to distract kids with stories, the funnier the better. I vow that I will phone every lonely person I know — and there are plenty — at least twice a week, just to chat and make them feel part of the living world. I vow to give alms to everyone who asks, and to those who don’t, and to stand up for the stupid and crazy, the stupider and crazier the better. I promise to keep an eye out for strays (cats, dogs and people) and bring them safety and comfort. I vow to see every wrong as a menace, every wound an opportunity.
As 2023 ends, I’ve decided to become more involved in Third Act. Co-founded by environmental writer and activist and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben, Third Act is “a community of experienced Americans over the age of sixty determined to change the world for the better. Together, we use our life experience, skills and resources to build a better tomorrow.”
In March 2023, Third Act attracted thousands of seniors to DC to participate in the "Rocking Chair Rebellion,” calling for four banks to cease funding fossil fuels. But you don’t need to take your rocking chair on tour to become engaged with Third Act. The organization has numerous campaigns you can support, ranging from registering high school students to vote and writing letters to urge PUCs to convert to clean energy to joining a sit-in at the Department of Energy to protest liquid natural gas terminals and signing a petition to urge Costco to abandon ties with Citibank.
The organization is focused on building community and to that end has established working groups across the country. In a post-Christmas fundraising blog post, Bruce Hamilton, a national staff organizer and agitator for Sierra Club for 45 years writes:
Third Act co-founder Bill McKibben tells us that the best thing an individual can do to address the climate crisis and attacks on democracy is to stop acting like an individual. That is why we all joined Third Act. With fellow Third Actors, we will be more powerful and able to take action collectively.
It has been so satisfying to work with local Third Act volunteers who are eager to join and make a difference with the most vital issues of our time. So many fellow elders have been searching for this home to fulfill their commitment to making a difference for our families and our future.
Third Act is hoping to reach $500 thousand in its No Time to Waste Fund.
What about you? Are there any causes you feel drawn to join or support as the year ends?
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