a touch of burnout.
sunday, september 1st, 2024.
I've been going super hard trying to push, pull, and otherwise influence local transportation policy over the summer. I started branching out trying to meet other folks who might be interested in improving active transportation. I got involved with the farmer's market folks because they were trying to put together a DIY mass transit system, since our city has none.
Some social media drama happened, as it is wont to do, and a lot of folks at the farmer's market and within the city got their feathers ruffled. I had no part in the initial drama, but I did try to mediate a bit because I didn't want the city to lose its farmer's market, nor did I want to see all the good people I've met get hurt by misunderstanding each other.
Long story short, the situation has diffused but it's left a lot of folks with a touch of the ol' burnout. The farmer's market will continue and the city is going to be doing a better job of supporting them in the near future.
Deeper issues remain with unaffordable housing and people being pushed to experience homelessness, as appears to be the case across the United States. The local food pantries can't keep up. The folks that are trying to help are exhausted.
In the interest of treating advocacy like a marathon and not a sprint, my cofounder and wife have both pushed me to take a break. It is hard to let myself do that, especially in light of the sheer gravity of all the city's problems. But— they have seen me run myself ragged and want the best for me.
Last week, I had my last booked appointment with a fellow on the transportation committee I serve on. We had lunch together and it was a great time. He's served as a transportation planner for another large metro area, so he shared a lot of great advice and information with me. Excited to work with him more in the future.
burnout recovery.
So now, my calendar is... open? Aside from attending other organizations' group bicycle rides, I have nothing booked. The month of September is open for personal activities that rebuild me after standing and peering over the precipice of burnout.
My wife and I got tickets to go see IDLES at the Tabernacle in Atlanta September 15th. We've both been wanting to see them for a while. They've played at Shaky Knees Music Festival and the Masquerade, but we've not been able to make it out to those shows before they really started blowing up. The Tabernacle is probably my favorite mid-sized venue in Atlanta, and that show is sold out. Joe Talbot and the boys are gonna blow the roof off and I'm so ready for it.
I've been watching this IDLES live footage on repeat to get extra hyped for the show:
Hm, what else? I've been reading Voltaire's Candide, ou l'Optimisme, which my cofounder recommended as his favorite work and a short read. Man, it's a brutal read but an absolutely scathing take on the danger of optimism without action. I'm very excited to read it all.
I've also been gaming— snagged Mount & Blade: Warband for $5 on GOG.com and reinstalled Blood Bowl 2 after hyping myself up for a bit of the old sport violence when I was reminded that hockey season starts back up in October. No, violence is never the answer but boy howdy! is it a fun space to play in when you're trying to reclaim yourself from the pit of seemingly insurmountable despair that is civic advocacy and public service.
So, yeah! I'm excited to take some time for myself and come back to advocacy with a renewed vigor. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Let's go! 💪
Until next time, be well! :)