Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 6th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS) is: “just do it.” Use the phrase “just do it” somewhere in your post, or write a post in the spirit of the phrase. Enjoy!
Just Do It.
Go, my children, and buy cheap Nike’s online from China, hoping they are “legit” so you can wear them as status symbols: “If they are fakes, maybe we can resell them to another sucker.”
Just Do It.
I’m sure that’s what Nike meant by the tagline. Probably.
Lean into fear and the unknown. Trust your gut (and your god, if you have one) and step into a place where disaster is possible but the reward outweighs the risk. Step into it. Into the darkness. See what happens. You might find the universe is waiting to reward your courage. You might just be in the dark.
Either way: Just Do It.
Let’s get married. January 6, 2000. Sure, we’re only 19, but we know we want to be together. Let others worry about the wisdom of our choice. 34 years later, it looks like a decent call. Shout-out to my little brother and his wife on their anniversary.
Just Do It
The U.S. Capitol, January 6, 2021: Oh, I’m worrying about the wisdom of YOUR choices BIG TIME, horrified as I watch the symbol of our democracy defiled – VIOLENTLY (and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise) – but ya, know… ‘Murica.
Just Do It
These days, people are going to JUST. DO. IT. For any of a zillion good and bad reasons. Sometimes the world will reward the deserving. Sometimes, an institution of 200+ years will protect us from ourselves.
Sometimes.
Sometimes, good things happen to bad people.
I’ve learned there are no more minds to change on many things, but in speaking of contemporary politics in particular, NO ONE anywhere on the spectrum wants to hear what anyone else’s reasons and rationales are for positions (if they even have reasons and rationales, the lack of which which just makes their stance even more intractable). You can’t reason with FEELINGS.
Which is where America is failing.
Everyone has feelings (duh).
And at large, we’ve become a society which cares about no feelings other than our own.
“But I don’t WANT to support Ukraine, even if it’s a linchpin in western European democracy, because I don’t FEEL like we belong in foreign wars.”
Spend some time reading and watching 1930’s Germany rise to power while we ignored and insulated. That ended up well.
“Pearl Harbor Attacked” – Oh HELL, naw.
Just Do It.
Selfishness rules.
Selfishness is the key to destruction.
SelfLESSness heals.
SelfLESSness is hard.
SelfLESSness happens in much smaller “Just Do It” quantities.
But it adds up. It makes a difference.
In general, I find it looks like love and kindness.
And if love and kindness isn’t enough, we did what we could.
Sounds a little fatalistic, but what do you have if not your own ability to do the right thing, as much as possible, in as many places as possible?
A voting booth is a good place to do the right thing, at least for the few remaining months of our republic, even if it means you’re voting for higher taxes to care for the marginalized, even if it means voting for someone you don’t especially like who will do good things for other people, people unlike yourself (or maybe exactly like yourself): the poor, the unhoused, the underfed, the harassed minority groups like my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters (and son), African-Americans, Latinos, Arabs, Jews, Palestinians… the list could continue ad nauseum.
Maybe you think “your guy” is the answer to those questions. Maybe I think it’s mine.
I know this, 11 months out: no more minds are being changed.
That means the strategy changes.
Find those around you who DO believe what you believe and encourage them to vote. Do that even if you’re supporting the “other guy”.
Because voting is how we do it around here. And we have REALLY safe, fair elections here, no matter what anyone has said to try and frighten you into believing otherwise.
Organize, organize, organize… and get out the vote. ALL of the vote.
Let’s see what we’re made of.
Just Do It.
#SoCS comes from the website of Linda G. Hill.
Here are the rules:
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
defying atrophy 
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