He's playing the main dick character
And we’re getting cast as the losers
Hi friends,
I’ve been getting good at embarrassing myself. Blame it on perimenopause, blame it on DEI, blame it on decision fatigue, blame it on burnout… the number of mistakes I make and things I forget is mind boggling. To make things worse, my Virgo sun punishes me in a way that only my fellow Virgos can understand.
While I was beating myself up last Friday about the typo in the first line of this newsletter, AS IF I DON’T HAVE A MILLION OTHER REAL THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT, little did I know I’d witness grand humiliation on a global scale later that day.
I don’t know how you fared on Friday night, but I spent the evening in tears as I watched the spectacle of our administration repeating Russian talking points as they bullied a man who is leading his country in a fight for sovereignty from foreign, dictatorial forces. The implications of the United States abandoning our European allies and how that emboldens Russia are so significant that an intensified war across Europe isn’t that far-fetched. If Russia invades a NATO member, Article 5 would be triggered, signaling NATO members to engage in war against the aggressor. This shit is real y’all.
The destruction of the relationships with our allies, from halting aid to Ukraine to the dismantling of USAID to tariffs, threatens our physical safety, our livelihoods, our democracy, and the free world. And for what? So that Trump can say he made a deal with the dictator no other president was able to negotiate with? So he can have clips looking like a strong man for social media? He’s playing the main dick character in his own reality TV program and we’re getting cast as the losers who don’t make it past the first round.
Friends, this is an all-hands-on-deck, no it’s not going to be OK in four years, code red type of situation. If the gravity of this hasn’t hit you yet, if you’ve been saving your sanity by tuning out the world, I want to get you on board because we need every day people like you to make their voices heard. Our elected officials, university presidents, and CEOs are staying silent because of the fear of retribution.
Trump is playing the main dick character in his own reality TV program and we’re getting cast as the losers who don’t make it past the first round.
For those of you who want to do something but aren’t quite sure how, here are a few tips:
Memorize someone’s phone number because if the protest I attended over the weekend is any indication of what to expect, it might get a bit hectic.
Commit to sustained action. For example, a single day boycott that is not focused on any particular corporation or industry will have little impact on business; in fact, it impacts corporate earnings about as much as a rainy day. Think about what you can do for months, a year, or longer.
Use your voice outside of social media. Our feeds are echo chambers and the algorithm is not our friend.
Get involved. I get updates for events, meetings, and resources from Indivisible and SURJ. What about you?
Get informed. I’m a firm believer that you do not need to have all the right answers all the time, nor is everything—like trans and civil rights, reproductive freedom, the value of our national parks—up for debate. With that said, I know it’s hard to keep up with the news cycle, but they are counting on us not paying attention or becoming so overwhelmed that we tune out.
How we show up in this world in response to this current hellscape does not need to be perfect.
Many of us stop short of executing our beliefs because we are stuck in the perfection of our actions and words. We don’t want to embarrass ourselves by saying something wrong. We believe our actions need to be grand, and if they aren’t immediately measurable, we think they fail. It’s easier to put our heads down and get through the day. And that’s what they want. That’s what they need to keep pushing their agenda forward.
So friends, say what needs to be said, ruffle feathers, fuck shit up, and make mistakes while doing it. I’ll be right by your side doing the same thing.
Until next time…
Jen Gurecki, she/her, CEO of Coalition Snow
Y’all, I read a dumb amount of shit every day and my girlfriend would love it if I had someone else to share it with, like the scam of HR22, the true cost of defunding USAID, Musk’s official government email erm71@who.eop.gov (do what you will with that), the tinkering of the GDP, and all of the other things that swimming around in my brain. If a weekly round-up of important shit with a bit of snark would be helpful, take the poll and drop a note in the comments. If enough people express interest, I’m happy to share all the wild things I learn.
What do you want to know more about? What resources or tools are you turning to? How are you feeling? I’m fine, obvs, in case you’re wondering… Pop it all into the comments.
📽️ March 7-8th, No Man’s Land Film Festival: I’m giving the opening remarks for the 10th anniversary celebration. It’s going to be spicy and she'll probably get into trouble but good thing Creative Director Andrea Slusarksi will be there to reign me in.
✴️ March 13th, Backcountry Beta: This one-hour workshop is designed to provide you with the tools to confidently lead a backcountry tour, whether it’s skinning up your local mountain, or pursuing a big peak.
🎿 April 11th, Demos at Boot Tan Fest: We'll be getting naked, turning screws, and having the time of our life, not necessarily in that order. RSVP for demos here. And keep your fingers crossed that we organize some demos in SLC on the way to/from.
⛷️ 🏂April 23-27th, Bachelorette: Because skiing at Mt. Bachelor in the spring is glorious and so is the company. There's still room, but not a whole lot so get your buns in gear if you want to join.
💌 May, Full Send: Join me in this collaborative workspace to grow and nurture your emails, newsletters, and creative writing because the algorithm isn’t there for you to succeed. Wait list coming soon!
🚲 July, Cycling Safari in Kenya with Zawadisha: Please tell us what is more fun in summer than cycling next to giraffes and elephants. This is THE trip to save for.
🏔️ How many employees are being lost at each national park? An NPS employee is tracking everything on this spreadsheet. Get the full story from
here.🙌 Vermont residents protested Vance during a weekend ski trip.
⛷️ Christina Lustenberger made a historic first descent in one of the most technical ski lines in the Canadian Rockies.
Thanks for reading! All typos are intentional to make sure you’re paying attention.
Did you know? Coalition is so much more than a ski and snowboard brand. We are a team of creatives and dreamers who love to get our hands dirty.
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Other places to find us:
Website: www.coalitionsnow.com
IG: @coalitionsnow
You're perfect just as you are and we all love you. And yeah, shit just got really. Fucking. Real. Like we lost the war with Russia we didn't even know we were fighting, kind of real. Thank you for naming it.
Thank you for you for always, and continuing, to use your voice. I appreciate your outrage and clarity in the midst of *gestures*