Getting into Good Trouble

John Lewis

"You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone – any person or any force – dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant."  John Lewis, A 2012 speech in Charlotte, North Carolina
 
Both the writing experience, as a writer, and the written word can be the good trouble we and the world need. Right now.
 
“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just … do something. Do some good trouble.”  John Lewis 
 
He spoke about “living it,”  living our compassion, living our “spirit of love,” living our beliefs for justice.  For us writers this may mean getting our experiences, thoughts and vulnerabilities down on paper. Writing it down so that we can face ourselves first. Then we can take what we know out into the world as stories, protest signs, letters to politicians.  We can post blogs that may stir things up in our readers. We can have our words be a call to action.
 
Every good read, in all genres, provides a call to action.  What is your call to action? What is your good trouble? Write about that. 
 
Through our writing we can challenge our sleepiness, our resistance and in the sharing of our stories we can trouble our readers in a good way.  
 
This is the time for action.
 
This is the time to write.
 
This is the time to speak up.
 
This is the time for your version of good trouble.  Necessary trouble.
 
What does your protest sign say?  Write about that.
 
What is your version of good trouble today?  Write about that.
 
"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."  John Lewis,  tweet in 2020

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