And Then I Got Stuck
This short reflection explores the deeper meaning of politics—beyond parties and governments—and how it quietly shapes our everyday lives.
And Then I Got Stuck
Pinned post · Random Ramblings
Writing, for me, has always been more than just a pleasure. There’s a unique, almost cathartic fulfillment that comes from transforming thoughts into words. That process never fails to deliver—
or so I thought, until this month.
I’d spent a couple of weeks absorbed in research and the dreary-but-necessary tasks of business and housekeeping, with little time for actual writing. Now, I find myself completely stuck. The writer in me feels utterly muzzled, overwhelmed by a "a hundred buts, ifs, shoulds, coulds, and maybes" swirling through my mind.
What Even Is Politics?
It took a few days, but eventually I elbowed most of those nagging bits aside—just long enough to seize one stubborn question:
What is actually political?
Or, more simply: What is politics?
Is it really just about governments and parties? The grand battles between democracy, autocracy, or kleptocracy?
It's fascinating, isn't it, how narrowly we often define that word?
The Politics of Everyday Life
For me, politics stretches far beyond governments and ideologies. I see it as something woven into the very fabric of our daily lives.
Almost any choice we make as a group, the subtle interplay of power in our relationships, how we share resources or status—
All of that is political.
Not just how nations are governed, but how we govern ourselves—
through community norms, social customs, and unwritten family rules.
Who gets a say. Who feels heard. Who holds power and who doesn’t.
Back to the Page
So yes, policy matters. But the political also lives in our day-to-day choices, our relationships, and our willingness to notice the invisible systems shaping us.
And with that reminder, I can return to my happy place—writing about the things I observe, learn, reflect on, or sometimes feel compelled to call out. Because at the end of the day, life itself truly is—
or at least profoundly feels—political.
I’d genuinely love to hear what kinds of things feel political to you. Please leave a comment or send me a message! -Leni