Are you unsure about the effect that you are presently having on society around you right now? Are you starting to feel weary and pessimistic about whether the effects that you are seeing and feeling are felt by others in your city? Are you starting to think that you are yelling and not one person is willing to listen?
Then take an hour, make yourself a sign, and go outside. Stand on a busy corner and smile. Depending on the size and content of your sign (the bigger and more pro-active, the better) something quite extraordinary will begin to happen. People will mostly at first just walk by, some will not notice or are trained to ignore, but there will begin to be "looks". Not particularly angry looks, not even ones at you yourself, but at your sign. At what it's saying.
You'll see a head turn. You'll see a smile. You'll see a concerned look. You'll see a mouth sounding out the words. You'll see a smirk. Then an eye will dart to yours, and you'll see a connection with a complete stranger. A thumbs-up here. A high-five there. Someone repeating the sign out loud as they pass.
People will begin to talk to you, all in passing. "I hear ya!" "Exactly!" "That's right!" as they go on about their day.
Then this one and singularly magical thing will occur: someone will stop and ask you "What's this all about?" Or "Is this involved with the Occupy thing? How's that going?" Or "How does this effect me so much that you are out here doing this?" Then communication takes hold.
You end up speaking one-on-one with the very people you are fighting for. You hear their tales of woe, their talks of support, their dreams of better society, for them and their loved ones. You even hear their insecurity about the Occupy movement, opening up a chance to highlight shared views and concerns. A troubled mortgage for an eager worker without work. A mother alone, struggling. A college student wanting to understand; wanting an education that leads to a future. A worker trying to squeeze more hours into and out of the day. A pink slip on the way.
But, you also get the hear how on top of it they are in terms of banking misconduct, mortgage frauds, paid politics, fake news, and inequality.
You get a chance to talk to them on the sidewalk - not yell at them from the street - and let them know they don't have to hide this aggravation anymore. It is not something to be ashamed about! It can be voiced, and for your health and the health of society, it should! That this movement is working to create a space and forum that which average citizens have the opportunity to air their grievances and talk about their troubles without judgement or penalty. That, together, as a people, we no longer have to feel America is someone else's. That it can be reclaimed as everyone's, more equally, more compassionately, and more humanely.
And all you are doing is holding a sign on a corner.
I've rattled on enough about Occupying Corners—you all have Occupying to do—but I will leave you with this one final note: when no one is on the sidewalks and the lights turn from red to green, there is no rush like knowing those honking cars, those thumbs-ups and peace-fingers from behind windshields, those yells of "OCCUPY!" from passenger windows are because you actually really aren't alone on a corner. You're on the edge of the future, like everyone else.
The San Diego OccupYrCorner group will be meeting at the Libertalia Cafe in Hillcrest, San Diego at 7 tonight, November 3oth in solidarity with other Corner Occupyers nationwide. Please spread the word to help begin a OccupYrCorner group in your city or town! - visit or site www.occupyrcorner.com for materials and www.facebook.com/groups/occupyrcorner for connections and details!
Then take an hour, make yourself a sign, and go outside. Stand on a busy corner and smile. Depending on the size and content of your sign (the bigger and more pro-active, the better) something quite extraordinary will begin to happen. People will mostly at first just walk by, some will not notice or are trained to ignore, but there will begin to be "looks". Not particularly angry looks, not even ones at you yourself, but at your sign. At what it's saying.
You'll see a head turn. You'll see a smile. You'll see a concerned look. You'll see a mouth sounding out the words. You'll see a smirk. Then an eye will dart to yours, and you'll see a connection with a complete stranger. A thumbs-up here. A high-five there. Someone repeating the sign out loud as they pass.
People will begin to talk to you, all in passing. "I hear ya!" "Exactly!" "That's right!" as they go on about their day.
Then this one and singularly magical thing will occur: someone will stop and ask you "What's this all about?" Or "Is this involved with the Occupy thing? How's that going?" Or "How does this effect me so much that you are out here doing this?" Then communication takes hold.
You end up speaking one-on-one with the very people you are fighting for. You hear their tales of woe, their talks of support, their dreams of better society, for them and their loved ones. You even hear their insecurity about the Occupy movement, opening up a chance to highlight shared views and concerns. A troubled mortgage for an eager worker without work. A mother alone, struggling. A college student wanting to understand; wanting an education that leads to a future. A worker trying to squeeze more hours into and out of the day. A pink slip on the way.
But, you also get the hear how on top of it they are in terms of banking misconduct, mortgage frauds, paid politics, fake news, and inequality.
You get a chance to talk to them on the sidewalk - not yell at them from the street - and let them know they don't have to hide this aggravation anymore. It is not something to be ashamed about! It can be voiced, and for your health and the health of society, it should! That this movement is working to create a space and forum that which average citizens have the opportunity to air their grievances and talk about their troubles without judgement or penalty. That, together, as a people, we no longer have to feel America is someone else's. That it can be reclaimed as everyone's, more equally, more compassionately, and more humanely.
And all you are doing is holding a sign on a corner.
I've rattled on enough about Occupying Corners—you all have Occupying to do—but I will leave you with this one final note: when no one is on the sidewalks and the lights turn from red to green, there is no rush like knowing those honking cars, those thumbs-ups and peace-fingers from behind windshields, those yells of "OCCUPY!" from passenger windows are because you actually really aren't alone on a corner. You're on the edge of the future, like everyone else.
The San Diego OccupYrCorner group will be meeting at the Libertalia Cafe in Hillcrest, San Diego at 7 tonight, November 3oth in solidarity with other Corner Occupyers nationwide. Please spread the word to help begin a OccupYrCorner group in your city or town! - visit or site www.occupyrcorner.com for materials and www.facebook.com/groups/occupyrcorner for connections and details!
