An extra day every four years, and what do we do with it? I know people who canvassed for a political candidate, stood in line at the DMV, read all day, and in South Carolina I hope a record number spent part of it voting.

I wrote 40 postcards (so far) urging registered Wisconsin voters to turn out at the polls on April 7, finished up a book, tucked in a healthcare visit, walked my dogs, and am planning to see a movie. I feel particularly good about the postcards; I’ve committed to write and send 200, and if I finish up early enough I’ll take on more. It’s a small act of civic engagement, but I think it’s important.

Reading about race

The book I finished was White Fragility, by Robin Diangelo, which is my book club’s current selection. It deals with an important issue—why conversations about race and racism are so difficult for white people—and I’m looking forward to discussing it. DiAngelo starts from the premise that we live in a society built on white privilege, and no one in it can possibility be unaffected by or “blind to” race. I think that’s correct. The question is how we can improve the situation. The book is mostly about looking inward and examining our own attitudes and influences, rather than trying to influence or change others. In that sense it’s very much about self-improvement and becoming more self-aware in order to be less “fragile” in these conversations.