Cynicism and Hope

When an email with that subject line landed in my inbox, I opened it right away and learned that an Op-Ed Project workshop was scheduled on my birthday. Attending the workshop was my gift to myself that year.

I’ve always wanted to be a change-maker. My first job out of college was community organizing. Then I coordinated an adult education program. As a freelance writer and editor I shifted from academic publishing to journalism. Now as I begin a new job search I’m looking toward the public policy arena.

I was telling a friend about my job search yesterday, and she asked why I don’t become a social worker. In recent months I’ve been helping her and her family as a neighbor; perhaps I could make a career of that kind of helping. I stumblingly tried to explain why I thought I could do more good writing and editing for a policy organization.

I didn’t sound convincing to myself.

Because as important as policy is, it’s really neighbors who change the world.