astridhobbit

[astridhobbit]

I saw a thing this on Bluesky and I am having a long think about it

And I have been thinking a LOT about what cause(s) I can sustainably support. Like, I can't do anything that will take regular, consistent time, even if it's as low as an hour a week. I know myself and I know my life. I don't consistently have a lot of time, and when I do, I might need to take it for myself to recharge.

There are also certain causes that, while important, I cannot get involved in, because getting that close to those kinds of issues would break me. Child welfare is one such example. It is super important! And, also, no one is helped by me breaking down and sobbing when something goes wrong or a child doesn't make it or whatever.

Because when I think about sustainable activism, I'm thinking about places where I can take a loss and keep going. We can't win every fight. Wherever I point myself, I have to be able to take a loss and come back swinging. Even if I think it's really important!

But the good news is: everything is connected to everything else, and me helping to solve one problem, even a tiny one, makes it easier for someone else to solve a different problem. So I can laser focus on something, in a way that I can do sustainably for years, and trust that other problems are also being worked on.

And so can you.

On twitter I’m seeing dozens of threads from Black activists warning people against burnout, giving all sorts of useful tips about preventing and managing it for the sake of a long-term, sustainable effort.

On tumblr I’m seeing a hell of a lot of young white kids yelling at anyone who actually follows those steps, and acting like burnout is a moral falling rather than a well-proven psychological phenomenon.

Be careful who you get your information from. Don’t let guilt lead you to make choices that will harm both you and the movement.

[astridhobbit]

i watch baseball for the side quests

[astridhobbit]

I'd like to tell you all a story about my grandmother.

My grandparents raised their children, four girls (one of them my mother), to be fighters. My aunts marched in Washington for women's rights with babies strapped to their chests and like to joke that all of the grandchildren who came from that line (including myself) were born with picket signs in their hands.

But it started with my grandparents. They fought hard for what they believed in. They marched against Vietnam. They marched for Martin Luther King. They marched for women's rights. They marched for a better future.

But let's talk specifically about my grandmother for a moment.

My grandmother unfortunately passed away in 2016. She had to watch the first Trump election and did so knowing that it would probably be the last election she'd ever see. And there is some argument there that she could have given in to fear and defeatism. She could have decided none of it was worth it, and she could have decided that fascism had won and the world was over.

But she did something else instead.

To give some context, my grandparents had friends who were Republicans. I say were, because they shifted from the normal Republican towards the MAGA Republican we see today. And despite a very clear message from my family about how we felt, they were more than ready to still come to the funeral as if everything was normal. Like their beliefs were normal. Like they were welcome to celebrate someone who had fought so hard for the rights of other people.

These were people who would have absolutely used their rhetoric to scream and shout if they were left out or disinvited.

And so my grandmother, even past her final moments, pulled the most brilliant, petty move I've ever seen.

She'd decided ahead of time that everyone who had known her was more than welcome to attend but that she wanted everyone attending the funeral to donate money. That was the requirement to be invited. And so everyone did just that. There was no talk about what the donations were for, just that they were appreciated. I want to say that the assumption was the money would help pay for funeral expenses and give the family some support while we grieved.

Except that wasn't the case.

Because in those final moments of the funeral, the rabbi stepped forward to thank everyone, and then very cheerfully announced;

"Arlene was so happy to know just how many people were coming to join us here today. She couldn't have been more proud of her family. And I'm sure she would have been elated to see just how much money you all gave today to Planned Parenthood."

When I say that the faces of those people are enshrined in my memory, I mean it. The anger, the devastation, the rage, the betrayal. It was an absolutely gorgeous display of true defeat at the hands of a boss ass old lady who literally fought with her last breath and threw up both middle fingers all the way out the door.

What I'm saying is this.

It is very easy to feel defeated. It is very easy to think that everything is over, and there's nothing left for us to do. It's very easy to say that fascism won, that fear won, that hate won.

But that's only true if you let it be true.

There is always more that we can do. There is a future that is still worth fighting for. And it's more than possible, even when it doesn't seem like it.

And fighting is going to look different every time.

Some days it will look like picket signs in our hands.

Some days it will look like spending time with friends and family and people you love and knowing that you have a community that supports you and your vision of a brighter future.

And some days, it's pulling absolute natural level 20 petty trickster shit even after you've left the world.

Because you can always make an impact and you can always add a little brightness to life, and if that means tricking a group of MAGA idiots into throwing their money behind Planned Parenthood in the middle of your own goddamn funeral then that's what it means.

Keep fighting. People have done it before you. People will continue to do it after you.

And enjoy the little victories.

(Even the petty ones)

[astridhobbit]

you have to outlive donald trump

[astridhobbit]

Would you like some happy news? Starting January 2025, SIDE QUESTED, our queer YA romantic comedy, will update three times a week!

Would you like more happy news? @alepresser I are launching a second webcomic! This one will be a Patreon exclusive for its first year as we get ready for its big launch, but you definitely want to get in early as we shape Penny and her adventures!

I'm excited for both of these projects…more so today than before Tuesday, to be honest.

SIDE QUESTED and Penny's adventures are going to be fun. They're going to be about joy and love and discovery…and, in Penny's case, tomb raiding and huge explosions.

We're gonna cram goodness into every single cranny of these comics like we're buttering a hot toasty story muffin.

If there's a crossover, then it'll be a turducken of comics cozy.

WE ARE MAKING GRILLED CHEESE AND TOMATO SOUP COMICS WITH SNARKY TEENAGERS AND MAGIC BATTLES FOR THESE TRYING TIMES GDI

I HATE THAT GUY AND WHAT HE STANDS FOR AND WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT WE CAN TO KEEP ROLLING OUR ROCK UP THAT HILL AND OUR ROCK IS COMICS SO LET'S FREAKIN' DO THIS

[astridhobbit]

Get there.

[astridhobbit]

From the book Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD:

Putting a coat on the back of a chair by the door is fine, but if you prefer, use coat hooks and a large catch-all basket for dropping keys, hats, gloves.

Small bookcase end-table next to the couch to store craft projects, books, and other things being worked on for easy access.

Add a storage unit near the dining room table to transition between eating and working there.

Daily toiletry items should be stored in a basket that you can move easily

Extra toiletries and medicine cabinet items go in open shelf/basket storage so they can be seen and used easily. If items no longer fit, purge the excess. Don't obscure the view!

If you disrobe in the bathroom, place a tall hamper in there.

Keep a set of cleaning supplies in each bathroom

[astridhobbit]

I know all the posts about how to stockpile hrt come from a good place but yall. Stockpiling T on purpose is a felony and its not one i judge you for but...STOP admitting it out loud on your blogs frankly and with none of the "teehee THEORETICALLY" shoplifter blogs used to have. Im seeing people talk abt the stockpiles they already have AND their plans to share it and my guys... this website WILL give your personal info to the government if subpoenad. Idk that its LIKELY but I know itd be embarrassing as hell to go to JAIL for felony possession of controlled substance w intent to distribute bc you couldnt stop yourself from YAPPING on a fucking tumblr post and then mr hammers gave your email and login ip to the cops. I KNOW youre all not using secure enough burners and vpns and shit 4 that Cmon now

[astridhobbit]

reblog if you need a hug

[astridhobbit]

any trans person reading this I love you

any woman reading this I love you

any poc minority reading this I love you

any queer person reading this I love you

[astridhobbit]

[astridhobbit]

One last one before I go to bed. Emmie... sure is a cat.

Elections are stressful, gonna post cat pics off and on throughout the day. Feel free to join in and please use alt text!

[astridhobbit]

Mozzie has, like, a THING for the kids' laundry hampers. The instant either one is emptied, he'll hop in and sometimes take a snooze.

Elections are stressful, gonna post cat pics off and on throughout the day. Feel free to join in and please use alt text!

[astridhobbit]

She just lets me do this to her sometimes.

Elections are stressful, gonna post cat pics off and on throughout the day. Feel free to join in and please use alt text!

[astridhobbit]

Emmie no!

Elections are stressful, gonna post cat pics off and on throughout the day. Feel free to join in and please use alt text!

[astridhobbit]

Emmie, my love, I promise you would have more fun playing with toys if you would, like, PLAY with them. Like in a back and forth kind of way.

Elections are stressful, gonna post cat pics off and on throughout the day. Feel free to join in and please use alt text!

[astridhobbit]

Emmie is not allowed on the table.

Elections are stressful, gonna post cat pics off and on throughout the day. Feel free to join in and please use alt text!