“When you’re going through hell, keep going.” ~ Unknown
It happened when my first marriage collapsed.
It happened when 80% of the company I worked for (including me) suddenly got laid off.
It happened when COVID hit.
And it happened after the 2024 election.
Every time, everything that mattered to me was over. Everything I’d structured my life around fell apart or disappeared. Every time, it felt like stumbling unexpectedly into a dark room: disoriented, confused, afraid.
Every time, I said, “Well damn. What now?”
We’ve all had “What now?” times in our lives. In my experience, the short answer to the question is to keep going.
One of my favorite quotes (oft misattributed to Winston Churchill) is “When you’re going through hell, keep going.”
In the mid-90s when about 50 of my colleagues and I were unexpectedly laid off, we created a group to help each other find new jobs. After a day of stunned astonishment and anxiety, we sat at the company conference table and committed to supporting each other. We all shared what we were looking for and connected each other to our contacts in those fields. We read over resumes and cover letters. We arranged meetings and celebrated like crazy when folks landed a new position.
Don’t get me wrong, it totally sucked. But there was something about taking a deep breath, gathering together, and finding a way through.
Any time I’ve been caught up short by an unexpected and difficult turn of events, any time I’ve asked, “What now?” it’s been similar. I spend a certain amount of time on the floor in child’s pose and then I gingerly look up, find my people and keep going. I never know what the hell I’m doing. I make it up as I go along and then some kind of barely visible path emerges and I just start following it.
This time is no exception.
This election literally brought me to my knees. There was ugly crying and rage screaming. There was a deep desire to rear end cars with certain bumper stickers. There were routes home that I chose not to take so I didn’t have to look at wretched yard signs.
And inevitably, there was “What now?”
This time, the answer is “Keep Going Together.”
Keep Going Together (KGT) is a group of people committed to democratic values, inclusion (particularly of the most marginalized), equity, and local action focused on mitigating harm & suffering in the face of ongoing and increasing oppression in our community.
The mission of this group is to support, protect and provide accountability for each other while also protecting and supporting the most vulnerable and marginalized people and environments in our local area. This is not a group for big national political efforts, organizing protests or boycotts or arguing about political strategy (all worthy things to do!). Instead KGT is a grassroots collective that offers help locally and directly with the intention of reducing harm & suffering.
Our initial idea is to create events and experiences to raise funds and recruit volunteers for local non-profit organizations which will likely be impacted by the incoming political regime.
We have a Facebook group to gather resources and share inspiration and more than 100 of us from all over are there interacting every day. Our first in-person meeting in Charlottesville is on Fri Dec 13 from 4-530pm in the Aldersgate Room at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church* at which we will talk about where to start.
Heaven knows that none of us has a clue what the future holds. Of course we don’t. But this could be a place to begin walking (or staggering or crawling) through the darkness together.
If this sounds like an interesting answer to your “What now?” I hope you’ll join us. Maybe you want to start a group like this in your area. Maybe you want a group of people to volunteer with for a cause you care about. Maybe you want to just feel less alone. If you are aligned with these ideas, you are welcome. Anybody anywhere can join the FB group and/or our email list. And anyone in Charlottesville can join our planning meeting on Fri, Dec 13 at 4-530pm in the Aldersgate Room at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.*
When faced with “What now?” moments, coach Tiffany Han says, “You’re doing great. You’re not alone. Keep going.”
Yes. Here we are. We can do this together.
*The Aldersgate Room at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church is at 1901 Thompson Rd but is accessed also via Emmett Street.
Street parking is not available. Please park in the UVA Garage or at the church in spots 1-4 by the steps leading up to the playground and the spots directly in front of the church, spots 29, 31, 32, 33, 34. All other spots are rented until 6pm so are unavailable.
Many thanks to Jan Rivero for arranging the use of the space!
Please RSVP by responding below or emailing me! I'm looking forward to being together!
