In 2020, I lost track of days of the week and my brain was convinced that every day was Thursday. But in August, Andrew suggested that we introduce a new day: Crusadurday (I go back and forth about whether it should be Crusadurday or Crusaturday but since we’re emphasizing the “crusading” part of this wombo, I’m hereafter sticking with the former).
One of the ways in which this year has changed me was the profound – and painful – confrontation with how much I had let good intentions and strongly-held beliefs stand in for meaningful action. I had a new lens on the fact that good intentions are not just woefully inadequate, but in fact often act as a barrier to change, either by lulling a person (me, in this case) into a false sense of complacency and/or serving to convince someone that they’ve done a lot more than they actually have to create change. It’s the privileged version of “thoughts and prayers” – an empty, quasi-sincere contribution that is not, in fact, enough. In revisiting my own past approach and assessing how I’d do better (which is to say do more), I simultaneously was overwhelmed and consoled by how many ways I could do more, big and small.
If we all did one small thing to advance the mission – whatever mission(s) we care about – instead of just wringing hands or liking posts or ranting into a like-minded echo chamber about the latest injustice you read about in news (things I still do, by the way), the impact would be huge. Not could be – would be. Because I know I’m not alone in needing to close the gap between intentions and actions.
And that’s the point of Crusadurday: one day a week (at least) to take specific, meaningful action for causes that matter to you and in ways that are right-sized to you and your life. Activities can include:
- Calling an elected official about a bill or topic that you want them to act on (for instance)
- Organizing a food or clothing drive at your school or place of employment (suggestion)
- Joining a weekly march or protest (for example)
- Signing up to be a mentor (option)
- Volunteering if you’re healthy enough to do so (idea)
- Buying groceries for a family in need (like this)
- Donating to organizations you support, ideally on a recurring basis, as much as fits your budget (one suggestion)
- Adding your name to a petition in between voting in elections because your voice always matters (lots of starting points)
Asked in an interview about how all of the variables that could impact the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, Barack Obama’s former campaign manager, David Axelrod responded,
“All we can do is everything we can do.”
#Crusadurday is our day to make sure that we are making good on just that. If we do, it might just be enough.