The forecast seems to have been much ado about nothing. The day broke without a cloud in the sky, the clear perfect turquoise of winter. By mid-morning, the clouds had begun to build . . . from the opposite direction that that which the predictions anticipated. Even so, they have kept themselves at home among the peaks, declining to lower themselves to our level.
For us, the day has been one of repetitive inconvenience: an errand that needed to be run out of town turned into an all-day affair, since, through no fault of our own but rather, someone else’s, the paperwork involved was missing some information. After arriving at our destination only to find our progress halted completely, we returned to town, secured what was necessary, then went back out of town yet again to complete our tasks.
It has been an inconvenient day: one that has involved waiting and expense and standing in line.
But the image above reminds us that standing in line is not all boredom and capitulation, respectability and boring conformity. Like the clouds, the latillas band together — in their case, quite literally — to provide the greater strength a united front presents than any one of them could do alone. It’s how we are granted the gift of the storm . . . and the blessing of safety, too.
Standing in line is not always about following; just as often, it is about leading by example. Sometimes the bravest, most generous action one can take is to be willing to decenter oneself; to defer, at least on the surface, to someone better placed; to deflect attention and refuse acclaim in favor of doing the work, side by side, with one’s peers. It’s about recognizing that they are all one’s peers: None of us possesses any innate or particular superiority or authority; our strength and what the world calls power comes from our collective work, united in community.
It’s a principle our ancestors observed, one our elders taught as a matter of simple routine in indigenous cultures the world over. It’s one we’ve declined any longer to hear, a natural and direct byproduct of colonial society and values. The dominant culture has come to its present pass by ignoring such fundamental wisdom.
There are, recently, signs of hope, even on broader stages. Tiny sparks; not embers yet, certainly nothing like a fire of the spirit. But it is winter — harsh weather, extreme cold and bitter winds, snows deep and ice treacherous, and it would be all too easy for all of us to decide that our immediate interests in momentary warmth and short-term security outweigh the risks of stepping out, stepping forward, standing up in a dangerous environment where solidarity is a faint hope but no kind of promise.
Like the latillas, someone has to be first, the anchor for the row.
Circumstances will get worse before they get better — but they will only get better if we band together. It’s cold and clear and not a little scary right now. It’s also time for standing in line.
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
