In Bed with a Mosquito

I have been thinking about all the destruction going on in the world– Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Israel, Ukraine and Russia, and the trials of a former president accused of committing 94 felonies across multiple trials. The list goes on.

Sharyl, my spouse, and I were on the road in Missouri in March on vacation when the news kept breaking into our little temporarily created bubble. In addition to the aforementioned tragedies, we learned that a premature baby who emerged from her murdered mother’s womb with an emergency C-section succumbed a few days later.

We took all that in while driving past the springtime mountains and trees sending forth their new leaves.

I thought about how easy it is to become discouraged and give up, attempting to reach the end of our small lives with as little stress and involvement as possible.

But I remembered a quote from Margaret Mead, which made me reconsider: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” Despite much evidence to the contrary, it might still be possible. 

I remembered the story of Malala Yousafsi, a young student in Pakistan who was shot in the head on a school bus by Muslim extremists who believed girls should not be educated.Today, she speaks worldwide for girls and their right to an education. 

Then there is Greta Thunberg, the young teenager who began protests against global warming. She is now a world-renowned speaker who continues to speak knowledgeably and passionately against global warming.

Then, a billboard caught our attention. I urged Sheryl to drive as slowly as she could so I could take a photo of it.

The sign proclaimed, “Equality: Bigger than Hate.” It was situated near a Confederate flag, which is no longer allowed in public places in Missouri. With my curiosity piqued, I found the story from July 2021.

Amanda Burrows from Tuscumbia organized the creation of the billboard in response to the flag on the outskirts of Eldon. 

After noticing the divisive symbol flying on the side of the road, she realized that the neighboring billboard was available for rent. The inclusive sign’s cost totaled $3,850, which would pay for the artwork, materials and rental. She crowdfunded for the cost and exceeded her target by nearly ten times her goal, raising over $37,000. 

Burrows stated: “The Confederate flag cannot be separated from what it represented during the Civil War and slavery. This is not what this area is about; we wave at our neighbors and empty our pockets at cancer fundraisers…I want anyone who doesn’t look like me to feel welcome here. Love, not Hate”. 

The sign attracted the attention of Mary Ratcliffe, a branch leader of the NAACP.

Ratcliff said: “If I were to speak to her, I would tell her how courageous it was for her to do this thing, and how much it means…to the community for her to be standing up there and letting folks know that this is not the way that all the people in the area feel.” 

Burrows explained that while she believed in the First Amendment, she did not think it applied only to flying the Confederate flag. She said, “I didn’t think it was fair, and even though it’s everyone’s right to express their opinion and free speech, which I respect. I didn’t want that flag to speak for me.” 

The reaction to her project was positive. Burrows noted, “I am reading every comment and my heart is full. 

This has exceeded every expectation I set when this was started. With this support, we can continue to exercise our right to free speech for the foreseeable future.” 

Donations came in from all over the country, including Minnesota, Pennsylvania and California. According to reports, the Confederate flag is on private property and cannot be removed by authorities. 

I figured that if an ordinary woman from a small town in the Ozarks could do so much, there would be no excuse for the rest of us to uphold her powerful witness, which has changed so many lives. 

So, look around and find something to do, no matter how small. And damn the mosquitos!