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I was reading Antifa: The Anti-fascist Handbook by Mark Bray because someone referred to it and it is presently free for Audible:
https://www.amazon.com/Antifa-Anti-Facist-Handbook-Mark-Bray/dp/1538507218
It was a brilliant book. Really interesting international history lessons and social lessons and lovely philosophy being put into action by people who care about people. I heard a term that I'd not encountered before: affinity group. I looked it up to figure out more and found this fascinating article:
https://crimethinc.com/2017/02/06/how-to-form-an-affinity-group-the-essential-building-block-of-anarchist-organization
I got thinking about my concept of chosen family and how I relate to the people in my life and that gave me a lot to think about. I've been in the SCA since 1993 and almost all of my relationships involve people I've met in or through SCA activities.
At first I felt kind of silly comparing groups of people who work together primarily to hold events and make feasts and run tournaments to people who work together primarily to ensure the safety of vulnerable people, feed and house the poor, and confront hate groups. Recreational academia doesn't seem as "important" at first glance as work to improve the lives of those who are suffering.
And then I thought about the funerals. I thought about the moves. I thought about the number of people who have couch surfed or sublet or co-lived. I thought about the inter-generational relationships that show up because my youngest friends are sixty years younger than my oldest friends. I thought about people applying SCA feast technology for weddings. I thought about the international network of people who trade baby and children's garb. I thought about the skill exchange and the resource exchanges where people freely share their knowledge, experience, and materials. Not just SCA-specific skills, child-rearing, resume writing, networking, roofing, gardening, modern cooking and baking, legal advice, end of life care, medical advice, hundreds of thousands of hours of peer counseling, and emotional support.
That was a lot to think about.
Right now a lot of events and activities that we would normally do in the SCA are on hold or are sharply curtailed. But I'm still in contact with my local connections and we're still doing stuff for each other when we can. This is important.
This is more than important, it is vital. We have a network already in place to take care of each other, and we need to remember that and employ it. Take time to think about your affinity group. Think about the things you've learned and taught, shared and received.
Consider carefully where you live and where your closest fellows live. Check in on those who don't communicate regularly by electronic network. The world is a scary place right now and it has the potential to get scarier in places. We can network now to deal with whatever may come up. We can make sure that everyone has food enough and toilet paper enough just like we did in the lockdown. We have amazing networking and organizational skills that we can apply to taking care of each other and our communities.
Not everyone has this kind of affinity group on which they can rely. Some people have to expend great effort to develop these connections locally. I never thought of that. The SCA has been there for me since I was 18 and even on my worst days I knew that there would be someone who would be there for me however obscure weird my need. Cheesemaking emergency? Building a chicken coop? Have to transport a loom across a international border? We have people who know these things and more.
Let's use this network to take care of each other and maybe, if you're comfortable, consider how your skills and experience can translate to supporting your local mundane community. Check in on your neighbors. Find out how you can support your local polling station. Learn about your local volunteer fire and EMS services. Keep an eye on your neighborhood and get to know what is usual so you will recognize things that are unusual.
Perform a risk assessment of your home and your route to work and your local haunts. Keep an eye out for white supremacist posters, stickers, and graffiti. Watch your local news for reports of rallies or violence in your area. Even if you feel that you live in a totally safe space, keep aware of things in case someone in a more dangerous place needs to get to you.
If you are a member of a vulnerable population and you feel that you are at risk from increased domestic unrest, reach out to your friends and tell them this. If they know that you are uneasy they are going to want to support you. If they don't know, they can't do anything for you. Talk with your families and your friends about being safe and accepting responsibility for your own neighborhoods.
If you are worried about unrest in the coming months and you don't feel like you have anybody you can talk to about it, message me. We can talk about your situation together and examine your strengths and liabilities. Sitting by yourself and worrying about what may happen will absolutely drain you of your capacity to deal with anything that happens. Even if what happens is totally happy and everyone is celebrating together.
Use your network. Reach out for support. Reach out to share your support for others. Check in on your elders, your peers, your belt-siblings, your household members, that new guy who showed up a few times before the lockdown. You never know who is going to give the support that you need and you never know what support you can share if you never talk about it.
Take time to think about your network and then reach out and touch base. Show up and be present for each other. As individuals we don't have much, but together we have everything.
https://www.amazon.com/Antifa-Anti-Facist-Handbook-Mark-Bray/dp/1538507218
It was a brilliant book. Really interesting international history lessons and social lessons and lovely philosophy being put into action by people who care about people. I heard a term that I'd not encountered before: affinity group. I looked it up to figure out more and found this fascinating article:
https://crimethinc.com/2017/02/06/how-to-form-an-affinity-group-the-essential-building-block-of-anarchist-organization
I got thinking about my concept of chosen family and how I relate to the people in my life and that gave me a lot to think about. I've been in the SCA since 1993 and almost all of my relationships involve people I've met in or through SCA activities.
At first I felt kind of silly comparing groups of people who work together primarily to hold events and make feasts and run tournaments to people who work together primarily to ensure the safety of vulnerable people, feed and house the poor, and confront hate groups. Recreational academia doesn't seem as "important" at first glance as work to improve the lives of those who are suffering.
And then I thought about the funerals. I thought about the moves. I thought about the number of people who have couch surfed or sublet or co-lived. I thought about the inter-generational relationships that show up because my youngest friends are sixty years younger than my oldest friends. I thought about people applying SCA feast technology for weddings. I thought about the international network of people who trade baby and children's garb. I thought about the skill exchange and the resource exchanges where people freely share their knowledge, experience, and materials. Not just SCA-specific skills, child-rearing, resume writing, networking, roofing, gardening, modern cooking and baking, legal advice, end of life care, medical advice, hundreds of thousands of hours of peer counseling, and emotional support.
That was a lot to think about.
Right now a lot of events and activities that we would normally do in the SCA are on hold or are sharply curtailed. But I'm still in contact with my local connections and we're still doing stuff for each other when we can. This is important.
This is more than important, it is vital. We have a network already in place to take care of each other, and we need to remember that and employ it. Take time to think about your affinity group. Think about the things you've learned and taught, shared and received.
Consider carefully where you live and where your closest fellows live. Check in on those who don't communicate regularly by electronic network. The world is a scary place right now and it has the potential to get scarier in places. We can network now to deal with whatever may come up. We can make sure that everyone has food enough and toilet paper enough just like we did in the lockdown. We have amazing networking and organizational skills that we can apply to taking care of each other and our communities.
Not everyone has this kind of affinity group on which they can rely. Some people have to expend great effort to develop these connections locally. I never thought of that. The SCA has been there for me since I was 18 and even on my worst days I knew that there would be someone who would be there for me however obscure weird my need. Cheesemaking emergency? Building a chicken coop? Have to transport a loom across a international border? We have people who know these things and more.
Let's use this network to take care of each other and maybe, if you're comfortable, consider how your skills and experience can translate to supporting your local mundane community. Check in on your neighbors. Find out how you can support your local polling station. Learn about your local volunteer fire and EMS services. Keep an eye on your neighborhood and get to know what is usual so you will recognize things that are unusual.
Perform a risk assessment of your home and your route to work and your local haunts. Keep an eye out for white supremacist posters, stickers, and graffiti. Watch your local news for reports of rallies or violence in your area. Even if you feel that you live in a totally safe space, keep aware of things in case someone in a more dangerous place needs to get to you.
If you are a member of a vulnerable population and you feel that you are at risk from increased domestic unrest, reach out to your friends and tell them this. If they know that you are uneasy they are going to want to support you. If they don't know, they can't do anything for you. Talk with your families and your friends about being safe and accepting responsibility for your own neighborhoods.
If you are worried about unrest in the coming months and you don't feel like you have anybody you can talk to about it, message me. We can talk about your situation together and examine your strengths and liabilities. Sitting by yourself and worrying about what may happen will absolutely drain you of your capacity to deal with anything that happens. Even if what happens is totally happy and everyone is celebrating together.
Use your network. Reach out for support. Reach out to share your support for others. Check in on your elders, your peers, your belt-siblings, your household members, that new guy who showed up a few times before the lockdown. You never know who is going to give the support that you need and you never know what support you can share if you never talk about it.
Take time to think about your network and then reach out and touch base. Show up and be present for each other. As individuals we don't have much, but together we have everything.
