First, I ask you to understand that I am notoriously bad at Instagram. (That sound you hear is Amanda laughing because it’s true.)

Partially I’m bad at it because I don’t think it makes any sense. WHY make it hard for people to share content they like on their own feed?! WHY is reposting still a wonky process? Why have reels and stories and posts and oh, my gosh, JUST PICK TWO. Don’t add more. (I am not a crackpot!)

Anyway.

I’ve been inspired and lifted in every way by videos of people standing up to politicians, of people protesting and gathering and speaking out. I’ve seen TikToks and reels and YouTube collections and shared clips on Bluesky like these, and they make my insides feel a little better.

So here’s one a friend sent me, and that I am sharing with you. On my blog. Because it’s easier than sharing on Instagram. Ha! You can’t stop me!

Anyway.

Bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews is not only better at Instagram AND TikTok than me, she’s getting a standing ovation from me and my desk chair (which is one of those cross legged ones so standing up is a whole dance routine).

Let’s see if Instagram embeds work? I BET THEY DON’T but I’m going to try!

If that isn’t accessible to you, here’s a summary:

Mary Kay Andrews turned down an offer of an honor from a Georgia state representative because she looked up his voting history and said, “No thanks,” and then told him and the lobbyist who contacted her exactly why.

She said she could not live with herself if she went down to the capital for a “grip and grin” with no opportunity to speak.

She learned that this representative is a physician, and voted for open carry in the state of Georgia. Ms. Andrews supports sensible gun laws.

He voted for book bans. And to quote Ms. Andrews, “I’m a writer. I can’t with the book banning.”

And then, during COVID, he voted against mask mandates and mandatory vaccinations.

In 2022, Ms. Andrews’ daughter Katie died at 39 of COVID-induced liver failure.

“And for those of you who say, ‘why does everything have to be about politics?”

“Politics is not an abstract for me. My child is dead because my politicians decided not to take a global pandemic seriously.”

She adds, people might have said, ‘Go up there and collect your flowers.’

And to those people Mary Kay Andrews replies in the words of that “great American poet Miley Cyrus, ‘I can buy my own flowers.’”

I didn’t know “WalkTok” was a thing, either – I’m learning all sorts of things today.

There is a lot going wrong every day, all day, in many places, and it hurts and it is scary. I’m calling my representatives several times a week now, and trying to balance being informed with being terrified.

Video diaries like this one soothe my heart a little, and I’m hoping this dose of inspiration will help you, too.

What about you? What have you seen lately that inspired you or made you want to cheer?  

NB: sometimes the spam filter gets twitchy about too many links, but I’ll be watching the comments and the spam filter to send your comments through.