The Revolution is Starting

I have been fortunate in my lifetime to have experienced first-hand a few moments of mass resistance that inspired my hope for real change, though none more powerful than today. Yesterday was the Inauguration of President Donald Trump. As ridiculous and improbable as it still sounds, it is a fact that is now real. The resistance showed up that day, by my personal vantage point, matching the strength in numbers of his own supporters. But our presence today exceeded even my lofty expectations for turnout.

The Women’s March in D.C. was initially expecting a turnout of a few hundred thousand. I personally felt like a million was more likely just based on the energy I was seeing online with friends from around the country who are certainly not regular participants in an organized protests before now taking the time and making the investment to show up both in DC and at sister marches in their local communities. However, more recent media reports are suggesting nearly 4 million individuals turned up all around the world. By the absolute gridlock that the city was under, both above and underground, I fully believe it.

Activism has been a big part of my life for a number of years now and on a variety of issues. But the energy I experienced today has inspired me to start thinking about taking my own activism to the next level and even beginning to envision myself as a leader. Tomorrow, I will be attending a training about running for elected office. In the fall of 2015, I had a moment while listening to an interview with Speaker Pelosi, hearing her talk about her work encouraging women to run where I thought that maybe I could and even spent a few months thereafter considering what that would look like. Despite this, it didn’t take long to roll back my confidence, reiterating that I’d much prefer to just direct things from behind the scenes rather than be the public face of anything. There must be someone else better suited for that.

But today, I heard my own voice again. In a sea of people who are fed up, pissed off, and ready for real change toward a more just future. I started to think about my progression through organized medicine over the past few years, specifically recollecting a conversation with one of my mentors shortly before graduating from medical school about how I didn’t feel like I was personally getting much out of the student section anymore, though it seemed to be an expectation that I stay there to help lead. She readily agreed and told me I had already “graduated” from the students and needed to be with the physicians now so I could continue to grow. As I consider the opportunities I have sought out over the intervening two years, I realize so much of it has been built around continuing to seek training and mentorship, but never giving myself credit that perhaps I am already prepared and finally ready to lead.

Over the past few weeks, I have been interacting with people at their professional heights as elected representatives, hospital and health department administrators, and they seem to be universally surprised by my level of knowledge on the subjects about which I am speaking. Perhaps it is time that rather that allowing myself to be satisfied with surpassing their low expectations, that I start exercising that voice and demanding to be heard.

Today, I am inspired by all of those who chose to take a stand possibly for the first time and take part in a movement that says we deserve better. I now stand resolved saying that not only do I believe it too, but I am committing to doing more and to taking the next step that I was previously too afraid of. Outside the Chinatown Metro station, a man handed my friend and I these beautiful artistic prints of Hillary Clinton that I am so excited to hang up at home. Both of us have been avid Hillary supporters and we see this woman as someone whose endless fight and countless contributions have been severely discounted, but still she stands and moves beyond the abuse that comes with the limelight. I can’t help but admire that and consider myself weak for not having been willing to do the same. But today, I commit that this is all about to change. Thank you to the marchers in D.C. and around the world today for giving me that courage because now I know for sure that I am not alone.