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For the Literary-Minded and Civic-Oriented
After my efforts to unionize my bookstore were squashed, I struggled a bit to pick up the pieces of myself. Working on anything for a long period of time requires endurance, persistence, and a type of optimism that is very nearly indistinguishable from delusion. But organizing toward social justice ends is particularly draining and demoralizing, especially in today’s climate. I learned from my time at 350 Chicago that even small victories can take years to achieve, but only days to undo. So for anyone that’s ever tried to enact some change in the world, only to give up shortly thereafter, I see you and I understand.
But as terrible as defeat feels, stagnation is somehow worse. Because even while I wallow in my failures, I still retain a sense of pride that despite the authoritarian turn our world is taking, I at least did something. So after the union effort failed, and I’d spent an adequate amount of time feeling both angry and sorry for my…
