After that it was off to Walmart for Black Friday (Thursday?). Not to shop, of course, but to join the natonwide protests. I wrote about my experiences with the Austin Overpass Light Brigade and direct actions inside Walmart stores over on Firedoglake:
Overpass Light Brigades across the country joined in support of Walmart workers and the Organization United for Respect (OUR Walmart) on Thursday night, as they took part in what the Nation called the largest US strike ever against the world’s largest employer. Using Facebook and other modern methods of mobilization, Light Brigades from at least a half dozen cities worked almost simultaneously at different Walmarts around the nation.
I attended a protest at a Walmart in South Austin. Though it was called by members of OUR Walmart, I wasn’t able to verify that any workers walked out anywhere in Austin, though there were reports of walkouts in Dallas. It was hard to blame the workers, given reports of widespread threats against worker walkouts. At the location where we gathered on Ben White in Austin, Texas Rangers were present. Rangers have a very long history of being used for strike-breaking. A Ranger, along with a group of Walmart managers, monitored protesters the entire time we were present. I was threatened with arrest for taking their photo while on Walmart property.
For those of you who have read some of my older entries, the lover I referred to as Pet moved back to Houston last weekend. We got to spend some time together before she left, and she’s visiting next week, but it was still sad as it was a door closing on one part of our relationship and I am sure both of us have some regrets.
You hear the aphorism ‘live life with no regrets’ from time to time, but real life is messier than aphorisms. The idea that we should go for it and chase our dreams is often a worthy one. Yet things don’t always work out the way we planned them to happen, and I know I’m mourning the death of that imagined alternative outcome.
Yesterday I tried Austin’s Counter Culture Restaurant, which is becoming justifiably famous for its vegan comfort food. I’d eaten at their food cart back before they opened a brick and mortar restaurant. I’m not sure why I waited this long to try their mac & cheeze but I’m in love.
There’s a lot to do in the garden (thanks to Texas’ ridiculous growing season) and so I’m going to get out in the sun for a while.
On Tuesday, November 27 at 11am PST I’ll be hosting a Firedoglake book salon with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! to discuss her book The Silenced Majority. Join us to discuss politics, Occupy, journalism, and so on.
Light Brigade photo by Jack McCabe, used with permission. Food photo by Kit O’Connell.
