I’m Joining the People’s Convoy!
Episode One: Why I’m participating, how I’m preparing, what it means (to me) to be free to choose my path in this life & CONVOY DETAILS!
Saturday February 19th, 2022
Dear Freedom Friends,
On Valentine’s Day, Brian Brase (Co-organizer of the People’s Convoy) announced on @Newsmax that the first slow roll of the People’s Convoy would depart Barstow, CA on Wednesday, February 23rd. I live near Seattle, but I’ve spent the winter at my aunt and uncle’s place…30 minutes away from Barstow. It was too much. Whether the Universe or God put me here, in the right place at the right time, I can’t know, but the coincidence can’t be ignored.
On Wednesday, I will roll out of Barstow!
Why? (If you don’t care why, scroll down for details about the Convoy.)
It’s an excellent question. It is the question we should all be asking ourselves. What are we hoping for? What is our goal? Why are people all across America working at a feverish pitch to prepare for a cross-country trip from (wherever they are) to Washington DC?
America is a land of many peoples with many histories. A melting pot. Multi-cultural and diverse. Therefore, I can only answer for myself, and to do so I need to tell you a bit about who I am and why I value what I value.
I grew up in what I call the “Sesame Street” generation. We grew up watching the muppets and Sesame Street’s multi-ethnic cast, Mr. Rogers and that cute little “bill” as it strived to become “a law.” We watched PBS back when it really was “publicly funded” and there were no commercials or evidence of corporate manipulation. We were raised during that brief, brilliant space immediately following the Civil Rights Movement (with all the idealism of the age). And so, the powerful values of our nation, as a melting pot of people who were “different yet equal” was deeply instilled into my psyche.
Because we moved almost continuously, my most lasting friendships were with characters in books. Science Fiction and Fantasy were my mainstays, and you know what happens in almost all of those books? Heroines (and Heroes) find themselves often alone and isolated, a misunderstood minority facing big baddies and - through grit, gumption and sacrifice - they stand up for the little people, and they win.
The other genre closest to my heart was dystopia. George Orwell’s 1984 was ragged and well-worn by the time I graduated high school. Brave New World, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Stand and Fahrenheit 451 formed as a foundation for a worldview walled in by human history, plumbed with sociology and roofed by an endless awareness of the degradation of our environment by human forces.
The paint, windows and gutters were comprised of sheer dismay at the wastefulness of material consumerism, the epic awareness that we were one red button away from a nuclear catastrophe and a deep sense that the freedom of each person to choose their own, unique version of happiness was the greatest promise our country had to offer.
Like my parents before me, I have lived largely outside of the accepted box of “normative” choices. As such, I have long appreciated living in America, where diversity is (or used to be) tolerated.
And yes, I do mean tolerated. There is nothing wrong with tolerance! Over the years, I’ve seen this term demeaned and replaced with “celebrated” or “accepted.” To me, that’s the beginning of cancel culture: the idea that one is not allowed to disapprove of how another person lives their life. Disapproval is the yin to the yang of approval, or personal convictions, to put it more succinctly. If I am not allowed to have my own convictions (while tolerating those in my community who live and act in a way that I wouldn’t) - then how can I claim to be free at all? What matters more, than one’s strongly held beliefs and convictions?
The point of America is not to blend our colors into a dull, ugly gray. The point is to have these colors remain vital, fresh, bright and shiny as they swirl together into a gorgeous rainbow of humanity: equal but not the same. Please, not the same!
I’m not going to lie. I don’t have a great deal of respect for a person who spends every waking moment trying to make more money, but I DO respect their right to choose that dubious path toward happiness. It might even work! Who am I to judge another person? No matter how similar our shoes, I cannot become their feet. I am me, and they are they, and we both have a human right to be the Captain of our own ship.
And that’s where the POWER of tolerance lies: within our ability to choose to “tolerate” a person who we actively dislike, disapprove of, disagree with and so on.
THAT is impressive, because tolerance is hard and therefore admirable. To change one’s own opinion, so that you “decide” to approve of another person’s behavior or actions, is to seek the easier path forward because it is easier living with people you agree with. What’s hard, challenging and truly beautiful is to live with people who you do NOT agree with because, by doing so, you earn the right to live as you wish, as well. It’s the giving of tolerance that earns you tolerance in return.
Back to the Convoy!
We, the people of the United States of America are facing threats to our constitutionally-protected culture of liberty and diversity. The freedom to BE different and to BE tolerated by my society is of primary importance. Without it, I would be either in jail or forced to make decisions that would be anathema to me, and that’s a terrible world to imagine.
Most of my life decisions have been unusual, making me a prime target for “Public Health as Benevolent Dictator.” To be robbed of one’s choice, to be threatened into compliance…that is a truly tragic dystopia. I am deeply committed to “You do you and I’ll do me.”
On every important parenting decision, I ended up choosing a minority position. Homebirth, extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, delayed vaccination, no circumcision, attachment parenting, tandem nursing, homeschooling, unschooling, worldschooling and a relaxed viewpoint on the world of microbes, germs and viruses…I even ate 100% raw food for an entire year while I was tandem nursing my sons! We were incredibly healthy, and when it comes to our healthcare, we primarily focus on herbalism, homeopathy, lifestyle and food as medicine (which is why we discovered my son’s food allergies and eliminated his asthma 100% - when the doctor wanted to hand us an inhaler and call it exercise induced asthma).
In a future where Public Health has become an unquestioned dictator of “acceptable risk,” many of my personal choices might be ruled out, criminalized or disallowed.
Therefore, I must stand up. Must speak out. Must advocate for our society to cherish diversity, practice tolerance and value the colorful beauty of minority viewpoints.
CONVOY PREPARATION!
(1) Materials! I have some thoughts for the tens of thousands of Americans who I expect to join in this convoy.
Bring your own water.
I treat road trips like a healthy eating vacation! Otherwise, we can fall victim to fast food binges and salty/sweet/junky snacks at each rest stop. That’s fine if you want to, but I like to counteract the hours of immobility with conscious food choices!
Easy, easy, easy! Here’s an example of my morning plan: heat water in a pot, pour out enough for tea, swirl the water and poach an egg, then toss oatmeal in to absorb the last of the water and add chopped apple, raisins and cinnamon…let the burner cool down while eating and washing my pot, bowl, spoon, pack it up and go!
Stay hydrated. I mentioned water above, but hydrating means actually drinking, right? And sitting is bad for the bowels, so I have three (3) ideas!
Lemon juice, electrolyte powder, two fiber powders
Coconut milk, chai tea concentrate, turmeric powder
Hot tea (early morning and cool evening drink)
Cash is King
So, seriously. Petty tyrants have a habit of criminalizing whatever they don’t want to deal with or face or answer for and Justin Trudeau has reminded us of this sad fact. Don’t be foolish enough to rely upon electronic access to funds. I don’t break the law. I don’t speed (much of my sons’ and my husband’s annoyance on road trips), I honor and respect our men and women in Blue, and I am well-known for responding to the most vile and repulsive attacks, bullying and disrespect with a calm and cool demeanor. But, my good behavior is not adequate protection against a government behaving badly. Be wise.
Consider Your Tech
Do you have Hot Spot capability?
How will you upload your content?
Do you have hands-free options?
Chargers & external batteries?
Your Car, Truck or Rig
Okay, I can’t speak to Rig needs & prep, but I do look forward to learning a ton along the way.
Decoration & messaging! I found chalk markers (red, white and blue) at a Walmart in the auto department: should stay on in the rain, but if it starts to melt, it could stain my white paint, so I’ll watch it carefully and wash off and reapply as necessary.
Tire pressure, oil, coolant fluids, windshield wiper fluids, and so on. You don’t want to break down and you don’t want others having to stop and help you, if you do! AAA Card is a plus (I have the advanced membership that will tow pretty much as far as I need to be towed - typical membership is only about 15 miles and then they charge by the mile).
(2) Mentally, Spiritually, Emotionally and Conceptually Prepare
Take a deep breath and find your center. Under the layers of society’s expectations, current events, peer expectations and the emotional baggage of the past two years (or longer), there is a kernel of truth that is wholly yours. Find it. Name it. Own it. Write it down. Keep it front and center in your mind.
We’re all here for our own reasons, but the many people working together to organize “The People’s Convoy” in America have their own ideas, and as I’ve been invited to their party, I am happy to honor their stated goals:
The People’s Convoy is PEACEFUL.
The People’s Convoy is LEGAL.
The People’s Convoy is CONSTITUTIONAL.
The People’s Convoy is INTRINSICALLY AMERICAN.
“We need to end the Emergency Powers Act, eliminate the mandates, restore constitutional order to our country and hold people (elected and non-elected) to account.”
All political viewpoints exist within the People’s Convoy.
All Americans (and Americans yet-to-be) are welcome.
We are American Truckers & Our Allies
We welcome the bikers! RV Travelers! Any and all who want to see our country and visit OUR Nation’s Capitol! Canada has called for a Global Worker’s Strike - take the week off and join us for a few days!
I cannot wait to see Americans waving flags and signs at overpasses and along our routes through cities, towns and wheresoever the people choose to assemble to express their voices and thoughts.
Love mass Transit? Me, too! Whenever possible, hop on a bus, grab a train ticket, load up your local light rail, carpool and vanpool and ferry your way to Convoy Routes or join us in Washington DC, where we will PEACEFULLY assemble, as we fulfill the promise of America, as envisioned by the founding families who had tired of living under British oppression.
(3) Media (social, corporate, citizen, alternative and local):
Social Platforms: I am highly skeptical of social media, but it can offer the best media coverage a person could ask for: be discerning.
MSM: In Canada, the organizers put considerable effort into reminding people to be cautious of the MSM (Main Stream Media). Often, complete lies and insidious misinformation was presented which confused not only the folks at home but also led to rumors within the convoy. Be cautious.
Citizen/Alternative Journalism:
MIND YOUR MANNERS: Every single one of us is a representative of the People’s Convoy. Cameras will be everywhere. The world will be watching. Every minute is an opportunity to present ourselves in a way that benefits our cause.
PROTECT JOURNALISTS: As we saw today, in Canada, there are some people who choose to serve for the wrong reasons. These people can turn abusive and harmful. Journalists are often targeted. Get to know your friendly convoy journalists & watch their backs.
SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND? I will be joining the People’s Convoy in Barstow. My purpose is to provide daily write-ups and video content for folks back home who want to see and hear the truth for themselves. Feel free to ask me, “Hey, can I share my thoughts on camera?”
SUPPORT CITIZEN JOURNALISTS. When you’re hired to “work for” a media company, their editor gains control over what content gets published. When you’re a citizen journalist, you have the freedom to transmit the people’s truth to your audience…but how do you pay your bills? Through the generosity and appreciation of the people. Consider upgrading to a “paid subscription” to my Substack!
WHEW! That was looooooong! And now, I’m going to leave you with two suggestions for how you can learn more!
ThePeoplesConvoy.Org — Great source of information! »Official source.«
March Twisdale’s Substack — Please Read:
That post is a keeper. Roll on, March Twisdale!