Resistance is a line worth crossing

How I am coping and navigating personal values in a divided world

2025 started out with a BANG for me as I took medical leave from work to focus on self-care. My name is Ashley and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a nurse, mother, daughter, cousin, sister, ally, advocate, and an educator. I grew up in a small rural town in Michigan and I represent the first of my generation to attend a University. I have long imagined that my future would be spent in a similar way to how I grew up, with a big yard and plenty of physical space between me and my neighbors. But, make no mistake, the small town way of living as a community keeps everyone connected and close, but in many different ways than the urban communities that I have resided. I love being in nature, hunting, fishing, and getting dirty while putting in hard work for the benefit of myself and my community.

The past few years have my eyes wide open, and this beautiful vision of my future life has slowly eroded. That image forever burned to ashes on November 5, 2024. Where I thought I wanted to plant my roots is filled with people who either do not share my same values or do not want to change, evolve, or learn about others. Where the mindf*ck comes in is that these are my family members and people who I love and who share my same interests and hobbies. Oof. That burns.

I realized that day that nothing would change if I didn’t and it became my duty to resist the forces that have exploited the struggles of so many that I love. The future generation depends on us. My daughter depends on us. While I put my self-care first, I decided to begin blogging my resistance journey. My goals are to:

• show others in the resistance they are not alone
• find ways to protect vulnerable people during the next term
• help others find their voice to “lean in” when faced with a difficult situation or conversation
• be a role model for my daughter
• share tips and tricks that I have learned along the way

I am not sure yet how often I will post but at this point, I plan to post when something significant occurs or when I have learned something that I think would be helpful to disseminate broadly. With that in mind, I would like to share my experience at the Lansing Capital in Michigan on January 18, 2025 where I joined hundreds of like-minded resistors for a ‘People’s March.’ I went solo and without expectations and as I drove towards the Capital building blasting my Beyonce jam, ‘Freedom,’ I felt a sense of empowerment enter my body. It was a chilly, windy winter day but Michiganders aren’t afraid of the cold and I was feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

I wore my hunter orange snow pants and dressed them up with a little pink and pearls, otherwise wearing all black.

I parked behind another SUV and out popped Alex, from Grand Rapids, who also drove in solo. I complimented her car stickers and she smirked as she pulled out her sign. I knew in that moment that I found a sassy, smart woman and that we would be friends.

As I approached the Capital Building, I heard chanting and cheering. Over the next two hours my bottled up anger, fear, sadness, and frustration melted away and I gained empowerment, compassion, and a commitment to my community. After asking permission, I stood on the steps with my sign for a while (sorry no photo - I was very busy taking a stand).

After reflecting on my hesitation and insistence to ask to stand up on the steps of the capital as a cis, white woman, I decided this was…. NOT OKAY.

We do not need to ask permission to

• be
• show up
• stand up
• step up
• face confrontation in a peaceful manner

It is our duty to be an ally for those who want, but cannot SAFELY be, show up, stand up, step up, or face confrontation in a peaceful manner. It is incumbent upon each and every one of us (cis, white people) to do this work. I think the signs speak for themselves for anyone reading this and wondering… “why?” Plus, everyone who knows me well knows that I am horrible at typos, and run-on sentences, and prefer bullets and photos so here are a few fan faves.

I left the People’s March with an invigorated spirit for goodness. I walked back to my car with a couple who drove in from Mt. Pleasant and who had offered to let me walk with them because there was a sus situation going on that ended up being completely copacetic. I mention this because we were strangers, yet they offered to let me walk with them back to my car, and it shines a light on how CIS, WHITE PEOPLE feel when exercising their right to a peaceful protest. Also, because it was another example of someone driving in from over an hour away to exercise this right in the cold January Michigan winter.

I will close by reiterating that we need to UNAPOLOGETICALLY and without permission:

• show up
• stand up
• step up
• face confrontation in a peaceful manner

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone today and tomorrow as we head into a historical inauguration day. Tomorrow I will be channeling my inner BERNIE and playing HGTV on every TV I own.

May peace and protest be with you all :)