Many of my friends and family are probably scratching their heads, wondering why I took a 1,600 mile ride to New Hampshire just to display the Artists Against Trump Exhibit, especially when I’ve previously shown little, or no, interest in politics.
On our first evening in New Hampshire, we set up the display at Carlos Cardona’s home, where he hosted an event for the Democratic Party in Laconia. In this photo, Mike is talking to Dan Feltes (Democrat running for Governor of NH) while the Reuters cameraman records the proceedings.
In an effort to explain my decision to take the trip, and my choice to promote the message of this art exhibit, I’ll proceed by recounting some personal discoveries from a personal perspective.
This truck drove by many times, sometimes with other trucks following behind. Attempts to intimidate us included slamming down the plows on the road while cruising past, and stopping in the right of way to take pictures of us and the exhibit.
I’ll start off my observations by making the firm statement:
I am still NOT interested in joining the world of competitive political ideologies, except for occasions where those ideologies interfere with, degrade, or threaten the existence of ideas that I perceive to be essential to the preservation of our earth environment and the humanity that depends upon that very same earth environment for its survival.
I do not consider myself a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent. Nor do I identify with any political group or social movement. I believe in living a purposeful life and working to promote the ideals that bring hope for a brighter future for our human family.
The artwork enjoyed a favorable welcome by most of the media and passersby at the Artists Against Trump Exhibit in Manchester, New Hampshire, on 2/8/2020. This was an ad-hoc showing of the exhibit, which could be best described as a guerilla-marketing inspired event. The temperature never rose above 20 degrees, with gusty winds delivering a wind chill in the single digits. The fact that we were politically unendorsed, left us open to the ridicule of those who didn’t share our enthusiasm for the message we were promoting. One of the most memorable encounters – A young man walked up to Mike and me and asked, “Are you two guys responsible for this?” Following our affirmative reply, he made the judgmental assertion that we were “Both f***ing losers!” As he walked off down the sidewalk without ever breaking his stride, I couldn’t help but notice that he was wearing worn out clothes with a considerable amount of what appeared to be chocolate stains on the seat of his pants. I thought to myself ‘If that is what winning looks like, I’d prefer to remain a f***ing loser.’ Instinctively, I nearly lost my cool and went after the man, but I decided that it would be a nonproductive strategy, as I was sure he wouldn’t change his attitude no matter what methods I used to convince him.
Some of you may be asking – “What have you learned from the whole experience?” Most importantly, I’ve learned that I greatly appreciate the freedom of self-expression; the right to give voice to my own preferences, ideas, and beliefs. I’ve learned, that along with the freedom of self-expression, comes the responsibility to practice daily, and with conscious awareness, the character traits which are harmonious with the belief systems being expressed. I’m eternally grateful to be living and growing, here, and now.
More on Sunday about the Artists Against Trump project, and the insights I gained from it, after which, I intend to get back to my apolitical journey. Thank you for reading the Grand Providentia United Online Journal! 🙂
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