The work will remain the work. To heal old wounds. To not make new ones.

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In the midst of a bitter winter storm of discontent—both literal and figurative—it is useful to recall the famous first lines of Thomas Paine’s American Crisis, originally published in a bleak, dark winter 250 years ago.

“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”

Few sentences in American history better describe the challenges we have faced and conquered and that we must still face and continue to conquer. We’ve been through difficult times before. But the actions of those who fought against tyranny—in the dismal winter of 1776, on the rolling farmland of Gettysburg, on the beaches at Normandy, on the streets of Birmingham, and in so many instances throughout our history—provide hope and a roadmap.

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WHAT IS YOUR PIN CUSHION

In a 2023 conversation between Rebecca Solnit and Heather Cox Richardson these historians remind us that we’ve been here before. We’ve faced challenges with bleak prospects. At the 16:50 mark of the video, Richardson shares this example:

“In 1853, elite enslavers controlled the presidency, Supreme Court, and the Senate and were making inroads into the House. Those who believed that a few elite white men should rule over others looked to expand their vision. In 1854 they get Congress to pass a law that makes enslavement across the country possible. Abolitionists and those who sought democracy looked defeated. Yet by the mid-1850s, a new political party was formed that called for freedom and the right to rise of the lower and middle classes. By 1859 they had recruited a young lawyer to help articulate their vision. In 1860, that lawyer—Abraham Lincoln—was elected to the presidency. In 1862 he had drafted the Emancipation Proclamation and in November of 1863 he delivered the Gettysburg Address, dedicating the nation to a new birth of freedom based in the Declaration of Independence.”

In ten short years, the entire course of history was changed.

Solnit replies that the beginnings of the anti-slavery movement were actually “puny.” Female abolitionists sold crafts at fairs to make enough money to bring men like Frederick Douglas to speak at events.

“Who the hell thinks they are going to sell pin cushions to bring down a powerful institution? Except they did.”

Richardson’s excited response is, “I love that.” People think they are only one person. What can they do?

“Make a damn pin cushion.”

In this place and time each of us faces a similar question. What is our pin cushion?

We can do hard things.

More to come . . .

DJB

Winter photo by Keith Polischuk on Unsplash