Hope is Still a Discipline

 I had an encounter with someone close to me a few days ago and I'd like to talk about it.


I think there's a tendency amongst progressive folx to always be in a frustrated/heightened energy and to also remain in a sense of dissatisfaction. Specifically in relationship to not wanting to celebrate incremental wins, because they aren't enough to make everything around us better in a day.

And I've recently realized the dangers around this. Not celebrating successes can really come from a place of internalized capitalism, and it can neglect the journey along the way, during which we may glean valuable info for the road ahead. It's easy to feel like it isn't enough when we feel deeply under-resourced in the moment, and I respect and regard that from my privileged perspective. But we also need hopeful moments to anchor onto, and we need to authentically be in a place of accepting those hopeful moments. I liken it to being in a place of being able to accept romantic or friendship love, or community help. If we're not actually in the act of authentically receiving words, hope, repair, a win, a positive piece of news; if we're in constant motion, rejection, refusal etc. I just don't think it's super sustainable in the long term. A lot of y'all run around parroting "Hope is a discipline" from Miriame Kaba but you haven't really digested what it means.

And it makes me sad when I encounter close folks, or folks who were maybe formerly close, who don't want to receive from me anymore, and are ready to mostly reject what I have to offer. It's a political year, so maybe I need to consider that. But it's not a great feeling.

Progressivism shouldn't turn us into all-consuming monsters of change who will never be satiated until there's enough. I think it's important to consider incrementalism not the end-all, but a necessary part of the whole and of the big picture. It truly sucks to be thrown crumbs, but that's why the cycle is that we rest, appreciate, experience joy, and then keep moving towards what we need.

But many hearts are closed now. For many, it's not enough. So we have to remember that that burden isn't any one single person's responsibility, either. I'm reminding myself of it right now.

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