It's Halloween season - a time for spooky things, paying tribute to all that must pass on and leave this realm, and confronting our fears and our dark moments. I have a soft spot for Halloween as I always had a penchant for some of the darker aspects of life - there is a sense of comfort that eventually comes from facing our fears and our deeper broodings. I think it's safe to say that 2020 has forced us to do a lot more of that than any of us were expecting. The thing about fear though, is that once you face it, you discover the ways to cope and quell those fears. Actions armed with knowledge can alleviate many consternations.
My present anxiety is that we may passively erode our democratic ideals. As someone who spent the bigger part of my upbringing in the Soviet Union, I know too well that feeling of helplessness and the belief that your vote doesn't make a difference. But I also know that actions - people's actions as a collective, can make ALL the difference. My birthplace belonged to the Soviet Union and yet now it exists again as an independent Lithuania. That happened because people took a stand, went to the streets and demanded democracy. Regular citizens made that happen, regular people CAN and DO make the change. So if any of you still doubt in your own power, please think on that. Yes It's Halloween season and there are tricksters out there who will try to get you to think your voice can be silenced - do not be tricked, GO VOTE!!! I urge anyone who has not yet vowed to head to the polls to do so and to encourage everyone you know. There's less than 2 weeks left till the election - you still have time to reflect and vote for those who represent your voice. Collectively we ARE the change! The people ARE the power!!!! Go spook those tricksters and have a Happy Halloween and a healthier democracy!
