If 2025 were a Marvel movie, we would be way past the point of claiming that the writers are trying too hard. The return of the Orange Man has led to government shutdowns, layoffs in both the private and public sectors, and employee buyouts. Wow… and there’s more. We’ve seen harmful additives eliminated from foods, the removal of the penny, and the reconfiguration of the Department of Education. Oh, and let’s not forget a good *Fantastic Four* movie! What on Earth is happening?!

Now we have public hearings on UFO/UAP phenomena; I watched some of them and learned that UFOs and UAPs could come from both oceans and skies. While some of the phenomena can be explained, it still hasn’t been proven that they aren’t of alien origin! On top of all this, Six Flags in Maryland has closed. Where am I supposed to celebrate the merger of HBO and Netflix now?

If someone had snapped in 2020 and had not come out of their home since the pandemic, it would be like they blipped. Five years later presents a very different landscape. Late-night talk shows are being canceled, and people are increasingly aware that what they say can and will be used against them. Despite it all, I feel hopeful. I had a conversation with my son about activism, and I realized that this is where we are. If I don’t like what I see in the world, I need to step up and change it for the better.

Full disclosure: I am a federal employee affected by the last government shutdown. My children attend various programs whose funding has been cut due to a loss of federal support for the arts, and I regularly watch PBS. As a taxpayer, I prefer to support the Corporation for Public Broadcasting rather than increase defense funding. As a citizen, I have the option to directly support my local PBS stations, so I do. As a parent, I can help raise funds and provide support in other ways for the organizations my children attend. During the shutdown, I became more active in these areas.

It’s not enough to be aware of what’s happening in the world; it’s time to take action and be the change I want to see. I participated in a special campaign in Ward 8 that experienced low voter turnout for a critical DC Council seat. I’m not discouraged by the number of people who didn’t vote; I’m encouraged by those who did, and I will continue to reach out to more people to stress the importance of civic duty.

But it doesn’t stop there. I have a 14-year-old going through puberty, a 12-year-old about to enter that phase, and an eight-year-old who I hope will one day experience it, too. They need both Dad and Mom present, even if it’s just to gently push us away. But that’s no different from what previous generations experienced. Figures like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were fathers, while their wives were mothers who still had to get the kids to school each day. When we vote, some people volunteer at the polls to help ensure we can do so. I’ve seen community members step up as coaches, even if they’ve never played the sport themselves. I’m encouraged by the activities I see and hope to see even more in the future.

This is the part of the movie where the superheroes recognize their gifts and come together to confront the real enemy: apathy. Those who want to shape the world in their image are working tirelessly to do so. We, the people of Earth, should stand ready to face those challenges with focused, disciplined, compassionate resistance—and we should document it for Max/Netflix/HBO. It’s up to viewers like us to be the change we want to see.

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