THE INTROVERTS GUIDE TO CLIMATE MARCHES
I'm not sure about you, but I've sat behind my phone or my laptop on social media watching the youth climate marches, and the Extinction Rebellion protests with a mixture of gratitude, and awe, maybe a little bit of envy. And I've also curled up inside at the thought of going along myself.
I feel like this stuff NEEDS to happen, that it's so important that we stand up and show the world, the government, business leaders and our friends and family that this matters. That this matters enough for us to get off our butts and take time out of our busy lives to literally stand up and be counted. But I've always felt like marching, and protesting, and waving placards was for other people. People braver than me, more extroverted, more out spoken. And I've felt a little bit ashamed that I haven't joined in.
When I heard about the Mothers Rise Up climate march, organised by an 'ordinary group of scared mums' I felt like maybe this was something I could join in with. Even as as someone who's not mad keen on crowds and hordes of strangers. Even if I had to go on my own.
So this Sunday I went.
I asked on FB if anyone local fancied joining me, and although the initial response was enthusiastic, in the end it was just me. I asked my kids if they wanted to come, and got a very unenthusiastic response (either I'm doing something very wrong and not engaging them enough on the climate crisis, or I'm doing such a great job they feel like I've got it covered on their behalf...). So it was just me.
And I procrastinated, and ummmed and ahhhed and felt vaguely sick every time I thought about it, until I bit the bullet about two days out and booked my train ticket so there was no backing out.
I wasn't going to take a placard - I was too worried about looking like a knob on the train. But a friend who had been along to the Youth Climate Strike said it's a good idea - "it gives you something to do with your hands". So there I was on Saturday evening, hacking apart a box of loo roll to free up some cardboard and scrabbling through drawers trying to find a marker pen or felt-tip that actually worked.
I was up bright and early, dressed in what I hoped were appropriate climate marching clothes and clutching my placard in my sweaty little hands as I made my way to the train station.
And yes, I did feel like a knob stood there at the station with my solitary placard, anxiously hoping no-one would notice me, or stop and ask me what I was doing. That is until a friendly lady bounced up to me to say that they were going to the march too, and that she might see me there (she was hot-footing it after the rest of her family who were striding off to another carriage). I managed to tuck my banner unobtrusively down by my seat and was pleasantly surprised to see at least a couple of other families board the train at stops on the way to London.
I managed to negotiate my way on foot from Paddington to Hyde Park corner, still feeling like a bit of a tit, before I bumped into another solitary marcher, a mum from Oxford, and we got chatting as we managed to find the start point and the rest of the crowd. And from there on it was much easier. Surrounded by fellow marchers, other mums, other families. Some with teenagers, some with babies in pushchairs, most with homemade banners and placards. Some singing and chanting, other just walking along chatting.
I wouldn't say I didn't feel a teeny bit uncomfortable, being there on my own. I'm not the sort who is very good at bouncing enthusiastically up to people I don't know and striking up conversation. But it was ok. It was better than I had feared. And I'm so glad I went. That I plucked up the courage to stand up for what matters. To stand up for my kid's futures, for the future of all children. It was affirming and empowering and oh so heartening to see so many others there. To march in solidarity with them. To know that I'm not alone.
And just for that it was worth it.
If you're thinking about joining in with future marches and protests but you're just not sure, here's some tips:
A massive well done to the phenomenal group of 'ordinary mums' at Mothers Rise Up - you are far from ordinary ladies, you are extraordinary. Thank you for making it easier for us all to be climate activists in such a welcoming and uplifting way.
PS. If you're still not sure about the marching thing, here's four alternative things you can do to make your voice heard. xx
