This is probably going to end up being a long thread.

There's a passage in Terry Pratchett's Night Watch that I've been thinking about a lot the last few days. Night Watch is about a city guard named Sam Vimes who ends up trying to defend his neighborhood when it rebels (1/12)

against a fascist regime. It is, loosely, a fantasy take on Les Mis, if that helps. It's also perhaps my very favorite book in the world. Anyway: Sam Vimes. Vimes is a cynic, but he can generally be relied upon to do the right thing. In this case, defend his community from (2/12)

an unjust and oppressive government. At one point, while setting up barricades, a man named Reg Shoe--a highly idealistic revolutionary--states that this little rebellion's rallying cry should be, "Freedom, Truth, and Justice!" Vimes is dismissive. The talk plays out like (3/12)

this:
"You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?" said Reg, encouragingly.
"I'd like a hard-boiled egg," said Vimes, shaking the match out. There was some nervous laughter, but Reg looked offended.
"In the circumstances, Sergeant, I think we (4/12)

should set our sights a little higher--"
"Well, yes, we could," said Vimes, coming down the steps. He glanced at the sheets of paper in front of Reg. The man cared. He really did. And he was serious. He really was. "But... well, Reg, tomorrow the sun will come up again, (5/12)

and I'm pretty sure that whatever happens we won't have found Freedom, and there won't be a whole lot of Justice, and I'm damn sure we won't have found Truth. But it's just possible that I might get a hard-boiled egg."

So, here's what I want to say about that. It has been (6/12)

a long and awful few days. Something terrible happened on 1/6 and there have been virtually no consequences for the people involved. "There won't be a whole lot of Justice" indeed. So, please--if you are scared and hurting, try to at least get your hard-boiled egg, (7/12)

whatever that means for you. Eat a nice big breakfast, get a fancy coffee, bake some cookies tonight, roll dice with your friends, buy that game that you were hoping you'd get for Christmas but didn't. Take a second for yourself and at least get your damn egg because (8/12)

you fucking deserve it.

That's the most obvious takeaway from the passage, but there's something else I want to address from it. Vimes might seem dismissive here, like he doesn't believe in the cause or the rebels' chances. But you know what? What matters is that he's (9/12)

fighting anyway. He admits that they might not get "Freedom, Truth, and Justice" but that doesn't mean he's going to shy away from the fight. Look, right now, things look fucking grim. But that is not a reason to give up. It's okay to feel bad. It's even okay to feel (10/12)

hopeless. But don't give in to that feeling and let it sideline you. No matter the outcome, the fight--against fascism, against white supremacy, against oppression in its myriad forms--is always, ALWAYS worth it. So, in closing: (11/12)

Get you egg and stay in the fight.

I am here if you need me. Tweet me, DM me, whatever--I want to help. (12/12)