Over the weekend, thousands of people gathered at the Railyard for the International Folk Art Market. Among the volunteers were several people associated with Indivisible, myself included; I imagine many of those reading this were in attendance. People from around the world gathered to show off and sell their colorful, vibrant folk art. Many countries were represented and languages were spoken. Others mingled, admired, chatted, and shopped.
Not all the vendors were able to arrive, due to visa issues. Others stepped in to help those who could not come to sell their products. A man from Ukraine sold religious relics. The stall for Haiti sold out. The Palestine stand selling gorgeous glassware did a booming business. On Sunday children (and some adults) eagerly collected flag stickers from as many countries as they could—learning, one hopes, a little geography along the way, or at least gaining appreciation of how big and diverse our world is.
It's too easy to get depressed reading and watching the news. It’s easy to forget that, as Americans, we still have it better than much of the world’s population. When we sink into apathy and despair we may forget how much beauty, creativity, and joy there still is in the world, or to put it differently, how much there still is to fight for.
After the market ended on Sunday afternoon, I helped my new indigenous Panamanian friends pack up their suitcases. They went to hug their indigenous Taiwanese stall neighbors—and new friends—farewell. Volunteers, official and otherwise, were helping vendors fold clothes, pack jewelry, and drag carts of unsold merchandise back to their hotel. The atmosphere was one of conviviality and support across lines of race, language, and nationality. We were all just people who love folk art and wish for others to prosper, helping where we could and treasuring the connections we’d made (and the beautiful folk art we’d acquired).
As I wrote last week (https://indivisiblesantafe.org/keep-on-keeping-on/), it’s easy to get depressed when faced with daily assaults on our rights, daily cruelty, and the nastiness that a flailing fascist movement unleashes on those in this country and around the world. In order to keep fighting we must find ways to stay optimistic and energized. If you haven’t already, you may consider subscribing to Status Kuo, which puts out a weekly newsletter of funny things in addition to the more serious content on other days; and to Chop Wood Carry Water, which has lots of ideas on taking action but also a weekly good news roundup. We need that laughter and hope to carry on.
For me, volunteering at IFAM, getting to meet and mingle with the artists, visitors, and fellow volunteers, was a source of elation. May all of you find what it takes to refresh yourselves, stay optimistic, and thus have the strength to keep on keeping on.
