May 16th , 2020 - Saturday SIP Pandemic Journals - Rebecca Solnit and "The Way We Get Through This"

Rebecca Solnit writes about the role of mutual aid in times of communal trouble and she offers some solace and hope.  At least to me.   "One of the most striking aspects of this global crisis is how many forms of aid and solidarity there are. These new forms of generosity we are seeing – organising, networks, projects, donations, support and outreach – are numerous beyond counting, a superbloom of altruistic engagement." (Solnit,   "The Way We Get Through This"  The Guardian 14 May, 2020)

Green Plant, Blue Tile

Mutual aid is community support; it's coming together to help each other in times of crises.  It's what we do in order to get through. It's that well of generosity that gets us through tough times, that defines us as human. Think of the millions of volunteers in the World Wars rolling bandages for hospitals, of the Victory Gardens or gathering scrap metal in WWII.  Things ordinary citizens did to help out the national efforts in time of war.

These days of the pandemic, it's the home-crafters sewing millions of face masks and donating them to health care personnel.  It's sharing sourdough starter and recipes when no one could find yeast. Swapping puzzles for entertainment during our stay-at-home orders. Shopping for the more compromised in our neighborhood; putting teddy bears in our windows to give kids something to search for on their walks.

Green Tile, Green Plant

And it's the artist in our neighborhood who leaves these artful tiles around for folks to discover - I've seen several all over Santa Venetia. A walk becomes a treasure hunt on the path of distractions, with the balm of gratitude because someone had the kindness to gift us with a bit of beauty.  An uplift to the day. A reminder that not everyone is a nut job; that humans really can be generous towards their fellows.

Blue Wolf - to aid in the evening's howling

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Solnit, Rebecca, The Guardian  "The Way We Get Through This"

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/14/mutual-aid-coronavirus-pandemic-rebecca-solnit