Right you are Bobert. And also, it isn't about just showing up for marches, rallies, and demonstrations. Everyone has to choose what to focus their energy on. But I've been less active (on my scale) than usual for about 4 years now, due to life demands with aging parents and work. But that has nearly sorted itself out, and now, rather than just having time to go to demonstrations and do the occassional research project, I'm looking at going to work for a specific organization again.

I'm preparing for a new start in the new year. I'm looking to get involved in different ways than ever before, with an organization I've never worked with before, doing something I haven't done in the past. The world has changed pretty dramatically in some ways (especially related to technology) in the past 10-20 years, and I'm looking to change my way of interacting with it too. Which means a new sort of activism for me, even though I'm not sure where it will lead yet.

I get so much out of doing this sort of work, I don't see it as a burden or a duty or anything. It is fascinating, really. You meet such interesting people doing social justice activism, and learn so much, I can't see myself ever not doing it. But like anything else in life, there is an ebb and flow to it.

I apologize if my remarks about shopping were misconstrued and interpreted as being about Mudcat folk. My remark was really a result of a phone call I had had with a certain family member over Christmas plans, and how they want to do "gift giving" this year. I hate it. We have 24 people, they want to do 3 gifts per person, which is a total of 72 gifts. I know that isn't even the worst people have ever heard of, and that some families go much, much further with the gift binging. I refuse to be part of it. My way of coping with my family's insistence upon doing gifts is to donate to a worthy organization in the family's name. Really pisses certain more middle class capitalist leaning members of my family. They are appalled that I have such a "scrooge mentality" as they call it.

Bah humbug, I say.