Thanksgiving Weekend - One of Multiple Posts

Last night, after coming home from our (Canadian) Thanksgiving meal with friends, the lady friend and I thought we'd warm up the television.  As we surfed around looking for something interesting (don't get me started on what's on TV), we came across "If a Tree Falls:  A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" on POV (yay public television!).

The documentary follows Daniel McGowan, a former member of the ELF, who was facing life in prison for his role in two arsons (no one was hurt).  I'm not going to go into all the details; you should see the documentary, which is available on the POV website for viewing until October 13th.  (You can also go to his website.) What is important to this blog post is that the story moved me, and it reminded me of the urgency I used to feel around social, environmental, and political issues.

This is also not a "Oh, I was once young and idealistic.  Where did all that passion go?" post.  Sure, those thoughts cross my mind, but what's more productive is thinking about where I can go from here, not where I've already been.  I need to acknowledge what issues are important to me, where and how I can lend my support, and what kind of activist I can genuinely be.  While it sounds like work, it's also invigorating.  And that's something to be thankful for.