By Jessica Marie
This week I interviewed Madison Rose, anti-violence activist is Denver, Colorado. She helped create the March for Our Lives sister march in Denver in 2018. She had great advice for how to be an activist, how to stay safe when finding a place to get involved, and how to stay sane while being an activist. She has a wonderful heart and spirit for justice. She simply cannot allow bad things to happen unchecked. She stands up for what she believes and encourages those around her to do the same. I have been very lucky to know her, and she has inspired me to be more vocal about injustice and to stand up for what I believe in politically. Tell us a little about yourself, Madison. Hi, I’m Madison I’m a graduate of the University of Colorado and I consider myself an activist. I have been an activist in all different sorts of movements, but mostly in anti-gun violence. I have been involved in March For Our Lives, Never Again, Students Demand Action, and Every Town for Gun Safety. This has led me to many different places and spaces which is what I want to talk more about. How people can get involved in activism and civic engagement for young people especially. Activism has always felt like something I, as just a person, could never be involved in. How did you realize you could be an activist? I felt the same way growing up. Especially since activism is so tied to politics, and that is a huge realm. I am just a normal person. How do I step into that? But I got involved because of my passion. The passion that I had and still have for the anti-gun violence movement. After the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School there was the announcement for the March For Our Lives. I was living in Denver at the time, and I wanted to do a March For Our Lives in Denver. So, I put up a Facebook event and several others did the same, none of us knew each other at the time, we were all strangers. We called an organizer meeting for all of us to work together. I was shocked at how much of the community showed up to say they had all of our backs. I didn’t have any special connections, I was just a Criminology student. It really was that simple. There was no secret code or anything, I just made a Facebook group and teamed up with others who had the same mission. At that time there was a huge shift in views towards guns and gun violence that was happening, so that helped bring people together. What is the best way to be an activist? I think the answer is to just show up. Which is very cliché. But if you have a passion for something you have to get out there, try to find a space where you can have your voice heard. For me, I had enough passion that even if no one else cared and no one else showed up, I was still going to go to the state capital. I would stand out front with a sign all day to make my voice heard, and that carried into my activism. Plus, by your standing up and being vocal about what you will and won’t stand for you encourage others. You can encourage people to join, even if just one person joins that can make all the difference. How did people find out about the March? From a lot of different places. Lots of word of mouth, handing out fliers, we put fliers up around schools and other places. Some of us snuck into the library and put fliers inside the books for people to find. Some social media involvement but also a lot of face-to-face conversations. Which I prefer, I prefer talking to people one-on-one. What is the best way to talk to people about activism and things you stand for? It is possible to talk to people you don’t agree with. So often we live in an echo chamber, but just sitting down and talking with people one-on-one there is no audience. It is just you and them having a conversation. Many people will engage with that and you can learn so much from each other. You can see from a new perspective or point of view that you may never have thought of, and visa versa. This is so hard to do on social media as it becomes performative. You do it to be seen and praised, to gain followers, for confirmation bias. But when done privately a conversation can be far more raw and genuine. The ego goes away and you have nothing to lose or to gain. How would you suggest people get involved in activism now, during quarantine? Last summer I started working with Colorado Cease Fire and we started doing round table discussions virtually. So, you can still have those face-to-face conversations but it is safe for everyone. Round tables, town halls, contact and interact with your representatives, you can wear a mask and get vaccinated and go to marches. It takes some creativity, but there are still ways to get involved even now. Make sure your community knows that you are there to help them and uplift them. You can do small things too, like help them buy groceries or get things for them if they can’t leave the house. How do you know if a group is safe or genuine? I think it’s best to reach out beforehand. Send an email to the organization, let them know you are interested or curious, ask any questions you may have. A good organization will have a website, or a Facebook page, they will list their mission statements, and their various campaigns. Reach out to them and they will respond, because they are passionate and they want more people to be involved in some way. Reach out to multiple organizations to try and find the right fit. Some may be busy and may take more time to respond, others may be looking for volunteers, others may not. Especially right now with Covid, many are not taking volunteers to protect people. So, just reach out and see where you can fit in that works for both them and you. Do you have any advice for maintaining balance between your personal life and your activism? I at one time did not know this balance, and it is very detrimental to your mental health. When I was working with March For Our Lives and Vote For Our Lives, it was 12 hour work days. There was no work life balance at all. I would wake up in the morning and work until I fell asleep, through meals or exercise. You just have to set boundaries. Intentionally create a life that exists and runs outside of activism and don’t throw it to the wayside even when things are intense in the activism part of your life. I neglected hobbies and friendships outside of my activism. And people inside certain organizations would guilt me and others into working more and harder, guilt us for having any life or wanting to have any life outside of activism. That made it harder to balance and easier to neglect other hobbies and friends. Make activism a hobby, not your only hobby. Unless it is your paid for job where you can leave it at the office, you have to set your own boundaries. Which is hard, but so important. It is also hard to see the issues everywhere, in billboards, and movies, online. We can use that as fuel but we cannot let it dictate every moment of our lives. You need to have multiple hobbies, you need a life and friendships outside of activism. Turn off your phone notifications for Instagram or Twitter. Go for walks. Also, make friends with people who may disagree with you. How do you keep from burning out? You have to find the balance between being the most excited person in the world to the most pessimistic person in the whole world. Because a path is made by laying one brick at a time, we have to slow down and lay each brick. I’ve seen people get so excited and they just burn out. There is a place in the middle between the passion and the pessimism that actually gets things done. Part of this mindset comes from the activism life balance. A watched pot never boils, the same goes for activism. These things take a long time and if you spend all your time watching and waiting it will seem like we are never making any progress. But if you have other hobbies or other issues to follow and work towards you can come back refreshed and see any progress that has been made. It takes many years, it takes endurance to make change happen. You also need to celebrate little victories, to see any wins and celebrate them. From making it through a march, testifying on a bill, for everyone getting along during a meeting. We can celebrate these things in a humble way without being self-congratulatory. While still being happy and present in each moment and each win. How do we help as White Allies and not White Saviors? I cannot speak for all POC, I can only speak from what I have heard. But is important to be quiet and listen. There is no one experience, there are many, many experiences that you can hear and learn from. You can learn from different people and organizations. Most important is to listen and to ask, how can I help? Do you want my help? Is this a space you want a white person in? If they want help let them tell you how to help and then do what they say. Come from a perspective of, I am here to help, feel free to utilize me however would be most beneficial to you. What do you want to say to people who want to get involved or are already involved? Why are you doing it? Is it to be seen and heard as a good person, or to truly help the cause? What do you say and do when Twitter is logged off? Here is a challenge. Do one act of kindness or act of activism that you do not tell anyone about. You do not put it on social media, you don’t tell your friends, you just do it because you feel you need to. That is an incredible act of empathy and understanding, it removes ego and moves from the heart. We can easily get caught up in being seen as good, that people will think I am great and wonderful. But if no one sees, if no one congratulates you or thanks you, will you still do it? Who can be an activist? Anyone can be an activist. If anyone says you can’t for any reason whatsoever, do not work with that group. That is fake and not true, who knows what their goals are if they are not inclusive to you. Activism is inclusive. I have imposter syndrome all the time but it is okay for you to be involved, anyone can be involved. I hope you enjoyed and learned something from this interview with Madison Rose. You can follow her on Instagram @starringmadisonrose to learn more and follow her journey. She also suggested some books for people who may be interested in further reading. Book Recommendations: Walking with the Wind by John Lewis When We Rise by Cleve Jones Becoming by Michelle Obama The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Walking in Daniel's Shoes by Tom Mauser Parkland by Dave Cullen Much Love, Jessica Marie
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Prepping Pets for a Move
By Jessica Marie If you are preparing for a long-distance move, say 2,200 miles across the United States and you are planning on driving, there are a few things that you may need to have ready for your pets. Our family moved from Colorado to Maine the first week of February. We drove straight through, no stopping at hotels or campgrounds, only stopping and staying in our vehicles at rest stops. We made this trek with 3 dogs, 1 cat, 3 Zebra finches, 1 Betta fish, 1 bearded dragon, and 6 chickens. So, I have a bit of a varied approach on how to care for your pets before the move and what you may need to get everything from point A to point B alive. Be sure to consult your veterinarian before you leave as they may have tips, medications, or other useful information to help this process be as smooth as possible. The following are simply my personal experiences that worked for me, I am not a veterinarian. Please consult your veterinarian or other animal expert before traveling to ensure the best safety and health for your pets. Be Prepared First thing to keep in mind is, your pets will get stressed out. No matter what you do, unless your pet loves traveling, they will get stressed on this trip. If you’re like me and seeing pets stressed stresses you out, then you are going to want to find ways to limit their stress. The best way to do that is to be as prepared as possible. Buy anything you may need for your pet at least 1 month before the move. This gives the item time to ship (if ordered, it doesn’t do you any good to have it arrive after you leave) and you can make sure it is what you want/need. Make sure you order any pet medications you may need as well, so that you are not desperately searching for some as soon as you arrive to a new location. Moving is stressful for you as things just keep popping up, it never seems to end, and goodness you just need some rest. To save yourself and your pet, be prepared. Do not wait until the day of or the day before to think about your pet, this will not only add to your stress, but it will stress out your pets too. Dogs You will need: Dog bed and Bach Rescue Remedy for Pets We had 3 dogs, two of which do not mind traveling and are relatively stress free when it comes to car rides. But my little one is not a fan of car rides at all, he shakes, shivers, can’t rest, is fearful and stressed the entire time. I was told about Bach Rescue Remedy for Pets from multiple Facebook friends, so I bought it off Amazon. It is safe for all your pets and really does work. I put 3 little drops on my 7-pound Chihuahua-Yorkie mix’s head and within about 40 minutes he was napping. My friend had also graciously made the perfect little dog bed for him before I left, so he had a place that he knew was dedicated for him to sleep. Disclaimer: Consult your veterinarian before providing Bach Rescue Remedy for Pets as they may have a better option for your pet or situation. We also had dog bowls and water bowls for the dogs. Every time we stopped for fuel we would take the dogs out for a potty break and offer them food and water. I used canned food for my little one to encourage him to eat. I used rest stop bathroom sinks to wash out the dog bowls or fill them with water. Anything new, dog beds, comfort toys, or blankets, give your pet a chance to get used to the item before the trip. Let them know it is theirs and is a safe thing for them, so that they can recognize it on the trip as something familiar. Cat You will need: Kennel and litter pan The cat we kept in a kennel for portions of the trip as she has been motion sick in the past. She was not prone to leash walking as we tried for several weeks to train her, but at 17 years old she didn’t want to learn new tricks. For sleeping, we kept her in the kennel. When we stopped at rest stops we would provide her a littler box inside the mini van and simply leave her alone. She would potty in the litter box and wander around the car, exploring the dash and stretching her legs. Again, if they are not used to a kennel or a specific litter box, give them a few weeks of keeping the object near them so that they can get used to it. To associate the kennel and the littler box as theirs and as a place for them to feel safe and comfortable. Bearded Dragon You will need: Electric heat pad, hand warmers, cage blanket We kept the bearded dragon in the back of the mini van where we had a power adapter, it could be plugged into a cigarette lighter in a vehicle and convert that energy into a normal 110 outlet. We used a heating pad under his tank to keep him warm, as well as hand warmers inside the tank. Then we put a blanket over his cage to keep the heat in. It was extremely cold the entire time we traveled so heat was a concern for us. We kept most all of the animals in the mini van. Other than to fill the gas tank, we never turned the van off so as to keep the heat running and the animals comfortable. Zebra Finches You will need: Travel cage and cage blanket For the finches we downsized them to a small travel sized cage and also placed a blanket over the cage to keep the heat in. We also kept them close to the bearded dragon cage, so that if any heat was escaping from there it would help keep them warm. I would simply feed and water them as I normally do. Surprisingly, the food and water didn’t splash out of the feeders. Betta Fish You will need: Pop-top Tupperware and insulated lunch box The Betta fish I had a rather unique set up. I had purchased a BPA free Tupperware with a pop-top lid. I filled the Tupperware with the water that was in his tank, put him inside the Tupperware, then popped the little steam release top to allow fresh air inside. Then I put that inside an insulated lunchbox. I would open the entire lid once a day to feed him. But we also kept the lunchbox close to the bearded dragon tank to help keep the water from getting cool. Chickens You will need: Very large dog kennels and anti-flip food bowls I am aware that it’s weird we took our chickens with us. But they are our buddies just as much as the other pets. They were all adult hens so they could handle more extremes in temperature. We had an enclosed, insulated trailer we were towing on our way across that we kept the hens inside. The hens were in very large dog kennels that were filled with straw. I found the only way to feed and water them was to use a square, anti-flip bowl. One that no matter how you press on it or how a bird may stand on it, it will not flip over. Any other sort of feeder they will spill and knock over immediately. I bought the bowl in the pet section at Wal-Mart as I broke rule number one on this list and didn’t test my food and water bowl plans before we left, so I bought this system on the go. Chickens are notoriously messy, so you will be refilling these bowls every time you stop. Fair warning, even the friendliest chickens will get irritated and may peck at you. Just understand that they don’t’ know what is going on, their routine is broken, and they are stressed and afraid. Give them grace just like you would any stressed and afraid pet/animal. That is my list of what you will need to take your pet on a multi-day car ride for a move or trip. Prepare in advance, test your systems if possible, and have everything ready to go one month before you leave. These tips are born out of winter, so if it is summer or warm when you are traveling, adjust as necessary. Give the animals time to become used to their travel system(s), kennels, cages, food, bowls, beds, litter pans, etc. Not just a day or two, try to give them 2-4 weeks to become familiar with the item to help decrease stress. Remember you can use Bach Rescue Remedy for Pets on most all pets. We used it on a dog, the cat, the birds, and the chickens. Consult your veterinarian before providing this as they may have a better option for your pet or situation, I am not a veterinarian. Bonus tip: Remember that the process of you packing and things disappearing from your home can be stressful for your pets. My dog gets very concerned when I pack, especially when things that are his get packed. Don’t forget to comfort your pets during this packing and moving process, they don’t know what is going on and need you to comfort them. Remind them that you love them, that they are coming with you, and that they are safe. As an added bonus, giving them comfort will give you a much-needed stress release and some comfort as well. Don’t get flustered, relax, and take time for them too. Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian or other animal expert. All above advice is from personal experience only. Consult your local vet or other animal care provider before moving or implementing any of the above advice. Much Love, Jessica Marie Hello readers, happy Monday. I am going to be changing up my blog posts a little bit. I’ll tell you a little backstory and then get into how things are going here for the Wayfaring Jessica brand and blog. I first started working on blog posts, Instagram posts, and all the things that I wanted to shape this brand into back in February. One of the biggest things I wanted from my brand was to be a genuine conversation between you and I. To have someone going through life with you, giving advice from my experiences and those just like me, encouraging you to follow your dreams and live your best life. I planned to have my brand launch on April 1st. Well, the Divine played an April Fools Day prank on me. The night before, on March 31st, I realized I had drifted from this goal. I had spent 6 weeks making content with the goal of appeasing the algorithms instead of being true to my goals and desires for this brand. The 3 posts I made before my brand went live felt more aligned than most of the posts I had planned to go live after the brand launch. So, I changed everything.
Well, not everything, but a lot of things. I realized in February that I wanted to write again. I have always loved writing. Honest to goodness, I have been reading books and writing stories since I was single digits in age. I have taken many, many courses, classes, group sessions, every writing and editing course I could find for over a decade. But a few years ago, I just sort of stopped writing. I don’t know why. I tried to go a few other directions in my life, but every way I went I had doors slammed in my face. For 3 years I floundered, trying to figure out what I wanted, what I liked, what direction I could go that I wouldn’t make me fall flat on my face yet again. When the 2020 pandemic hit, I was truly forced to reevaluate everything. I floundered some more, trying to fit myself into little boxes of who I thought I should be, instead of embracing who I really am. Finally, in the fall and winter of 2020 I just stopped searching. I started doing what came naturally to me, the things I always enjoyed doing. Reading, art, and writing. That is what I am good at and what I truly love, writing first and foremost and art in the form of collage, abstract art, crochet, etc. I started to lean into those things. I realized I felt more comfortable, confident, and was less uptight than I had been in years. This is what I needed to pursue, I needed more of this in my life. The trajectory I was on was leading me directions I did not want to go. Once my family and I moved to Maine all distractions were stripped away. I had a chance to completely start from the ground up. I have taken this time to completely focus on what I am actually good at, not trying to fit into a version of myself I think I should be. In the past, I had lost all contact with my creativity, but now I am flowing with ideas for art and writing. This is my passion. I am working on a novel again. Like I said, in the past I have taken many courses and joined writer’s groups with prestigious writers that were sorely disappointed when I quit. They saw the potential in me that I failed to see. I know I am not the only one out there who has gone through this. I want to encourage people to find these pieces of themselves that light them up. To find these pieces of themselves that are in their core and tap back into it. Creativity doesn’t only come in the form of art and writing. Math, science, business, these are creative endeavors too, they just look a little different. I want to spark a light in people to follow their creativity. This is what I want to bring back. This was the goal I had from the start, but I got caught up in trying to cater to what I thought people would want to hear, in what would appease the algorithms, instead of being my truest self. Here is my new format that I hope will help you. Because I want everyone to tap into their creative spark and bring their beauty to the world. The world needs more beauty and you can bring it in a way that only you can shine. Once a month I will do an update, like this, things I am working on, ideas I am having, lessons I learned from the Divine. Ways that you can get to know me and resonate with me personally. I’ll keep you updated on my projects such as my novel, poetry, art, and short stories. What stage I am on, what I am learning, and what you may need to know if you are wanting to follow the path to being a writer as well. I am also having an interview with a guest once a month. I have some really exciting guests lined up with so much that you can learn. Look for those blog posts with my guest interviews. Upcoming guest topics are activism, art, and a published author! I am in no way bashing on the blog posts that came out before this one. I love every one of those pieces, they all came from personal experience and I stand behind every word. I will still be writing general life tips posts once a month. Travel tips and reviews, sustainability tips, how to’s, and more. But they will be one of many, not the only blog content I put out. Finally, I am an aspiring author. I have a novel in the works and some short stories. But I am also dipping my toes into poetry. Once a month I’ll post some of my favorite pieces of poetry for you to read. That is my May update, how things are going, how I plan to keep things going, how I want to help you, and be open and honest with you. I have always cherished people who are honest and genuine. I want to be open with you about my journey, what I learn, and where this life takes me. I hope this excites you and makes you want to stick around for more. If not, that’s ok, we all have different interests and goals, I wish you the best! For those who are interested, I’m glad you are here and I can’t wait to see you next week in my next blog post. Until next Monday, Much Love, Jessica Marie |
AuthorJessica Marie Cunningham - Intentional lifestyle blogger, aspiring author, and podcast host. All things Slow Living, Books, Writing, Art, creativity, Christianity, and personal stories. Archives
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