Margaret Atwood said the best way to improve at writing is to just write. So here I am. But I’m not here to just polish my sentiments on paper. I’m here because I’m pissed. There is so much saturation of panic and overwhelm in media today that I’m no longer content to just scroll, repost, and call that making a difference. Every day, a new “Breaking News” headline seems to tilt the world off its axis. I’m constantly in shock at how rapidly we’ve been backtracking as the country we smugly label the “Land of Opportunity.” Well, in my opinion, that’s complete bullshit, especially under the Trump administration. I’m not sure what the world needs; I’m not even sure if this will make a difference in anyone’s life. I will definitely not be perfect in my presence on this website. Still, I’m going to do my best to uplift significant voices, present real news, and provide actionable steps for how you can be an advocate, even if you find it uncomfortable, if you’re too overwhelmed to start, or if you don’t want to stand in front of a crowd and preach your frustration. 

A little about me: I’ve been an advocate since as long as I can remember. I biked to my first women’s march alone, I sparked conversation on pandemic controversies at my 8th-grade lunch table, and I wrote a grant for mental health when I was fourteen—there are loads more, but the jist is, I’ve been involved. But if you think that makes me a loud-mouth advocate who no longer shakes when she steps up to present her thoughts, you’re seriously mistaken. 

I’m not woke for caring about these topics; it’s not remarkable that these circumstances ignite a fear that makes me want to cry in bed and forget they ever happened. But I’m here to show you that despite the enormity of all we feel we need to change, despite how fucked this system seems, we are here, and we matter. You don’t need to start a riot to be subversive; you don’t need to dedicate hundreds of hours to volunteering and holding signs up screaming until your throat bleeds. It’s easier than you think to be an advocate, and it’s a million times easier when you can be a part of a community that cares about what you have to say, AKA this community. 

The truth is, I’m scared, I’ve been scared. I was scared when Roe v Wade got overturned, I’m scared every time I hear about children being shot in their own schools, and I’m scared when I hear about budget cuts for life-saving services like pediatric cancer research and nonprofit organizations. That’s why I speak about it, because, yes, it’s overwhelming. Yes, it’s so fucking tiring to call and rally and post screaming at a government that seems to be more consumed with whipping it out and measuring than caring for their own fucking constituents. But I need to shake and scream on paper because I have to believe that we live in a world where that still means something. I do believe this means something. 

I want to make advocacy the norm. I want to show everyone that you don’t need to be constantly stressed with a stage and a booming ambition to be a good advocate, and you certainly don’t need an audience with the president to be heard–I think it safe to say most of us aren’t desperate to be near him anyway. 

So, this is me. I’m seventeen, and my journey is just beginning. I am the generation of the future, and I want to see it change. You’ll see me post roughly every Sunday (I meant it when I said I’mm not perfect), and I encourage anyone to post thoughts or comments and be sassy with it. This is The Sassy Subversive, thank you for being here.