the one about joy as the world burns
You don’t have to suffer to prove you care: The case for guilt-free joy
Hello to the new subscribers. If you’re here for the worst pitch of the week, it’s the last Wednesday of the month. On Sundays, I send a mini-essay on whatever is on my mind.
(Yes, I know it’s Monday, but I was traveling last week.)
In 1988, roughly 1,500 AIDS patients, friends, and queer activists from all over the country descended upon suburban Rockville, Maryland. They were protesting the failures of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve medications to fight AIDS.
The demonstrators chanted, held signs, and demanded action. And then, when the day was over, many of them went home–or to bars, or to underground clubs–where they danced, laughed, and celebrated being alive. Because they had to.
The people on the frontlines of the most urgent fights have always known this truth: you can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders without moments of relief. To endure, you have to carve out spaces of joy. It wasn’t just about escapism–trust me, I know that all too well–it was about survival.
In the age of social media, when every crisis is beamed straight into our pockets, it’s easy to feel like enjoying yourself is a betrayal of those suffering. How can you laugh when the world is burning? But, I truly believe that we as humans weren’t wired to endure the entire world’s suffering as our own. We do what we can, and we support those who can do more.
Being a conscious citizen shouldn’t mean paralyzing yourself with guilt. We can all make a difference in our communities.
You can care deeply, fight for change, and still let yourself live. You can protest by day and party by night. You can donate, volunteer, and still go on vacation. You can mourn and still dance.
Joy is not a betrayal–it’s fuel for the fight ahead.
In other news, I’m talking to college students soon, so if you have career advice for journalism majors, send me an email. I’d love to share what you all have to say!