Hana Michels (Personal Account)

I loved her! Probably wouldn’t have dreads today.

German seems like such a hard language. They’ll try anything to teach you so that makes sense.

Oh wait we did get one fun movie ages after it came out, Good Burger -the one where a pedophile gets way more airtime than we remember from childhood because he really doesn’t pop compared to the other actors.

1995. I know there was a sequel and I believe I have seen parts of it and also goof troop (sp?) but not as a child.

We also had four VHS tapes, but they were muzzy because after 20 hours of convincing them, it was educational it actually worked. They weren’t very good but they were TV. We only watched the English one. I regret not learning Spanish, but I don’t think I would’ve learned it from Muzzy.

It wasn’t worth it, but had they not been so restrictive I would not have been bored enough to read my mom’s copy of the complete works of Kafka with notes about her own father in the margins as they pertain to Kafka’s father. That WAS high art. Unintentional, but high art nonetheless.

Also, I bumped into like 10 friends at the screening and went with one so it was like I got a second chance to share this with peers!

I saw a special screening in my 20s, thankfully! I did get to see it in the theater.

Definitely did not drive me to eat trash constantly with total inability to regulate myself the second I moved out

One time they made us walk out of a goofy movie because it depicted cheese whiz in a positive light

Fuck, Dave just found out I’ve never seen Terminator 2. Listen, my parents were therapists I have a lot of catching up to do and I will never completely accomplish it. They had particular disdain for action films and this weird boomer academic idea of what counts as high art and what doesn’t.

Otherwise, pick any moderator who has experience in community organizing or is just a pillar of the community- or a moderating system to make sure everyone has a certain amount of time to explain an issue and then people can respond with ideas to help. This will NOT be a Seahawks Canon library brawl

I would, of course, be happy to moderate your first neighborhood meeting virtually, I have done a bunch of similar things, I have not done this specifically, so if someone has, pick them. Otherwise I’m down. Try my best to make sure no one gets interrupted and everyone feels heard & safe.

If someone comes just to play devils advocate, they can play it to the door slamming their ass on the way out. Y’all have important issues to address and ways to have each other’s backs.

Those little anti-ice cards would be a helpful vehicle to weed out MAGA. The first meeting make a point to prioritize the people who have expressed the most need for help. These two things will probably weed out people you don’t need.

You can make a list of the top concerns, either the most popular or most dire (like protection from ice and/or eviction would be pretty dire and common,) share them and offer several meeting times and see which time the most people can attend your first neighborhood meeting!

Your local library will probably have a printer. The template is easily accessible online in a bunch of different languages! They’re not always red. I don’t know why they are called that, maybe some organizations will ship them to you and they’ll be red? I just used our ancient printer.

You can literally just spread those little red ICE cards and then create & add a neighborhood email address for yourself or a forum link and discuss peoples imminent concerns from there.

2/Unless you are working too hard for too little in the first place, which is probably the case since it’s a generational curse & a very common reason for burnout these days alongside everything going on in the world and feeling helpless to fix it.

What about non local communities? How does your work compensate you and if you are able to work more, are you able to donate? That’s also something to consider. 1/

I mean, I don’t know for sure that they are the most damaging, but after last year’s wildfires I’m pretty certain no invasive animal can stand up to that level of damage.

Do you think that you could help your community more if you weren’t so tired? Even in tiny disorganized ways? I would say that counts. Even the littlest acts have a ripple effect.

There are so many invasive species here too, but the most damaging tend to be plants because they really exacerbate the wildfires. We need to remove them & let indigenous tribes do controlled burns again and we need to offer them state support since the climate has changed so much.

Even if it seems like the issues you’re passionate about aren’t as imminent or important right now, well, they’re all important, and you can do more than one thing. But passion often staves off burnout (except for the rare cases it speeds it up then we find a new thing)

If I’m offering my time, it’s worth my time. Even if you’re just struggling to know where to start when it comes to activism, we can find what you’re passionate about & research organizations in your area together!

There is a balance between doing what you can to help fix this world, fostering community (which can both recharge you AND be a form of activism) and pure self-care. Everyone’s balance is different because everyone’s life, brain and circumstances are different.

I can share my own struggles and simply sit with you and listen until professional help arrives, though. And I can continue to check in with any hospital or send letters if you are not allowed Internet & phones for a while.

Note: if it’s as bad as keeping the will to stay alive literally, I will ask you to see a professional as well or at least call a hotline. If you are local, I may have people who work on a sliding scale for you. Suicide is beyond the realm of a coach.

Email hanamichelsla@gmail.com yes I can do groups. As long as I have a time slot open I will not ask for money because I can’t protest in crowds so this is my activism.

See I think dancing in this burning house is the only way we keep the will to stay alive in it- and I’m here free for any activist who is losing that will, for whatever they need. I’m just a coach not a therapist, but I understand burnout personally and I’ve helped others.