It's a strange thing, watching the reports of the arguments about the Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court, because as far as I can tell there is nothing I can do. I can't sign any petition or write any letters or stage any protests or cast any votes throw any tantrums that will make the slightest bit of difference one way or the other. All I can do is watch and pray, and for some reason that seems so much harder than doing something. Or feeling like I'm doing something even if the petition or letter or protest or vote or tantrum doesn't do anything either.
It is so uncomfortable to feel powerless. Which makes this an amazing reminder of how often I think I have power--and how often I actually do have power and don't bother to use it.
3 comments:
amen
Do you often feel you have power? If so, is it true? When?
Your question has me asking myself those questions.
By "power" I mean "the ability to take some action that will have some impact." Whether it will be a decisive impact, that depends greatly--and in matters of major importance, probably not. But by and large, I at least have the impression that there is some small step I can take that will, as they say, make a difference. Here, I don't. And it suddenly made me realize how that feels when, even in my hopeless moments when I don't think I can make a difference, I still believe there is something I could do.
Does that make any sense? This is all a new thought for me. It's made me appreciate again the women who fought for women's suffrage, to recognize what power that gives me, and to realize how many women did not have that.
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