I love living in a bubble of things and places and people that make me happy and comfortable and supported. There is a reason I live in a large metropolitan city, a reason why I mostly hang out with fellow feminist progressives, and a reason why I choose to eat in vegan restaurants. I love being surrounded by people who think/act/work/play just like me. We all like this to some degree, right? While I know my time could be well spent (or not?) getting to know some anti's and trying to convert them, it's just much more enjoyable to be surrounded with pro-choicers. I am privileged enough to live in this bubble and have access to a community that is in sync with my views.
Enter jury duty. I had jury duty a few weeks ago and my bubble was shattered. Yes, even in my beloved liberal city I was faced with a slew of individuals who were very different from me. I won't go into details about the trial, but throughout the process I witnessed many examples of misogyny. I left this experience feeling quite sad about this random sample of my city and what it represented.
I know that for things to ever change (abortion rights, lgbt rights, racism, environment, etc) we need to get out of our bubbles...I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this. How do we survive outside of our bubbles? How do we nurture ourselves when it can be so hostile out "there"???
Protect and nurture your bubble. I have lived without one my entire life. I have never fit in nor found a safe place in my hometown of Jackson, MS. I differ from my community in politics, religion, values, and almost any topic you could bring up. It's harsh to live this way. Some days I can embrace my difference and be proud of it but at some point pride fades and I just want someone like me to talk to or have a cup of coffee with or something. I have recently in the last few years tried to cultivate an online social community for myself. This has helped a little and has even led to a small group of local friends. But generally, it's cold out there and if I were lucky enough to have a bubble I don't think I'd go out of it willingly. People are social and emotional creatures, I don't find it honorable or somehow praise worthy to test oneself by putting up with the sort of people you don't like and can't agree with. I think it's good for the emotional well being to have a bubble and maintain it. I used to think that maybe my purpose was to try to bring these people around but it's not and neither is it yours. The anti-s the haters, theirs is not a logical argument, there is nothing to debate them out of. We aren't contributing to the problem because we may choose to shield ourselves from these people. Be glad for what you have an enjoy it twice as much for those of us who can't.
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