On Tuesday, July 12th, women from Oak Park, Berwyn, Austin, and beyond shard networking and narratives that were centered around questions of race and equity. Together, they wrestled with writing individual "Stories of Self" that told us a bit more about who they are in ways that were joyful and vulnerable, or "Stories of Now," where we examined more deeply the places in our communities that are yet hard to look at. In this post, we share Molly Sackler's "Story of Now," a narrative she wrote during the event that challenges writers to consider the challenges we are NOW facing, why, and where we need to go from here. Thanks, Molly, for being brave enough to write, share, and publish! Look ALIVE!! There's another gathering coming in August, and this time, we will craft "The Story of Us." We hope to see you there!!
"The Story of Now" by Molly Sackler
The story of now is the story of a promise made; a promise that has not been kept. The promise is that we are all equal: races, religions, women and men. As we grow and and learn, we all begin to know – wherever we live, whoever we are – that this promise is either broken or it was made in bad faith. Like an advertising campaign to sell something old and ugly dressed up in a shiny veneer.
But we all hold on to the promise. We need it. And this is a place to start.
The sham of our country, its promise, is stripped bare now because of the extreme political situation. Now no one can pretend.
If we can all
agree we want and need the premise (that we are all equal);
and then acknowledge that it is not met: we do not live as equals, treat one another as equals—
Langston Hughes’ “Dream deferred” –
Then, those of us who mourn this and rage against it,
Can we come together?
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There are too many stories of the now.
I can’t and don’t want to condense them into one vivid anecdote.
Innocent people shot dead.
Boys and girls viewed as criminals as they play in the park, goof off in school.
What we need is face-to-face talk.
Not the click of the keyboard, the flatness of the screen.
I want to be able to talk.