what is essential and who. the smallest change in the status quo for profit over people means a fight— not a vote as that can be stolen or purged. most dogwalkers are pandemically inessential as most workers are in pandemic democracy. as soon as you ain't necessary, the boot. i'm an essential dogwalker, and i'm glad i'm not alone and disillusioned and hungry. i saw a doc last night about a peace activist who became so painfully lonely and disillusioned in activism and resistance he turned to drink and disintegrated year after year long after people in the peace movement he had supported and elevated like abbie hoffman had killed themselves. the filmmaker was in a quandry because he couldn't save him from his despair. he was kind of keeping him alive by documenting his life but the fellow, mayer vishner, had long since given up the ghost. i won't say more, but i cried watching this guy who was so intent on working against the war state that when he realized the state was never going to stop he stopped himself. he was an essential worker for peace in a country formulated on war, imminently expendable, and his love and desire for freedom and connection resulted in devastation, a broken mind, a broken spirit, and a broken heart. so we must be essential to ourselves, and work for intimate connection and not get swallowed up in the illusion that we can change the world. we must exercise self care foremost, and abstain when and where we can from the brutal status quo. we must find what is essential in us, in the midst of a pandemic of extractive human industry and perpetual war.