Marching all my life (part 2)

I've been marching all my life, in one way or another; I've been to many types of rallies, protests and marches over the last 50 years, and while I am still active in many ways -- advocating for a more just and equitable world for everyone -- I kinda thought my actual "marching" days were over.

Then came the recent Women's March on Washington on January 21 and I wanted to be there. Ultimately, I became part of the "Women's March – Los Angeles - Tehachapi Squad" (started on facebook by a couple of friends), looking forward to being part of the event closer to home. My friend Suzanne agreed to go with me and we made plans to meet other members of the Squad in Lancaster at the MetroLink, where we would join forces to get to LA for the day. I was ecstatic!

But of course, challenges were ahead: namely the blizzard that hit Tehachapi on Friday the 20th. As the day wore on with more and more snow (and fog and rain and sleet), some of the Squad opted out. Others thought they might go later and skip the train. Fortunately for me, Suzanne was willing to go for it.

Up at 4, shoveling out my car and leaving the house at 5 on Saturday morning, I picked Suzanne up and our adventure began. The 58 was icy and visibility was not great, but the road was open and by the time we reached Mojave, the sky was clear and stars were visible. At the MetroLink, we found a parking lot full of cars full of other people who were on their way to LA for the day.

The "march" started for us on the train, as it was packed with women and men wearing pink hats and carrying posters and signs and flags and wearing buttons and t-shirts with slogans. I don't particularly like being in a crowd ever (and certainly not stuck in a train) but I felt so comfortable there I couldn't stop smiling.

At each stop more and more people boarded, headed for the LA march. At one point passengers were told there was no more room, but then everyone squeezed together and made the room. No complaints, just a lot of togetherness and laughter.

In Los Angeles we became a sea of humanity as we made our way outside Union Station and on our way to Pershing Square. Everywhere we looked there were people – all different sorts of people, all different genders, different nationalities, different colors, different styles of clothing, different ages, different motivations, different issues, different reasons for being there. But the energy was so positive and so inclusive, so cheerful and so loving, so accepting and so helpful, it was easy to get caught up in the good feelings and let the happy adrenalin carry us along.

It was Suzanne's first march; it was my first march in probably 30 years, and while we each experienced it somewhat differently, we both felt the energy and the solidarity of hundreds of thousands of strangers who were, really, not so strange at all. We walked with people to city hall, we found the park and stage, we listened to speakers, we felt the love and excitement, we marveled at all the people.

Happily, many of the Tehachapi Squad did make it to LA that day too, although we never connected with them. But we were all part of something much bigger than anticipated (the organizers were expecting 150,000 people; 750,000 people showed up), and bigger than any one person could imagine. It was beautiful, it was refreshing, it was inspiring. It's always good to know when you are not alone, and it's always good to know when so many people so different from yourself will stand up with you and for you.

It is always good to be a part of something so positive and peaceful; it is always good to be reminded that we are all much more alike than we are different, and that when we work together we can accomplish great things.

Marches like this one give me – and many others -- the energy and desire to keep marching, to keep working, to keep being there for each other.

I've been marching, in one way or another, all my life, and I really see no reason to stop now. And I do see every reason to continue marching, marching, marching.

© Copyright 2017. Mel White, a local writer/photographer, has been writing "On the Bright Side" columns for various newspapers since 1996. She is also co-owner/founder of the unusual and eclectic Treasure Trove in downtown Tehachapi; she can be reached at [email protected]