The Crown, Colonialism, and the World Cup
We’re wrapping up the year, folks! So many people feel like a busy bee during this time, with a combination of work, personal errands, and socializing as they look forward and backward. Hope everyone is feeling good as we look towards 2023.
Social Impact Insights: Legacy and Accountability
A version of this picture is on the cover of the Charles and Diana book my parents bought for me and my siblings at the time of the big royal wedding in 1981. I remember both my parents talking to us about the engagement, and we all watched the wedding with excitement. At the time, I read the book often and VORACIOUSLY. I can still remember the glamour and charm of Diana, and the conversations about Charles as a forward thinker and environmentalist. I always liked them both. And once Camilla’s role made its way into the headlines years later, it seemed kind of sad to me that Charles hadn’t been able to marry his original girlfriend because she wasn’t deemed royal material. So I actually liked all three of the people in that particular marriage. And as is typical of my social justice lens on the world, my general vibe was that all three had been trapped by and into a system not of their own making.
And of course, like many Indian families around the world, the interest my parents shared with us had a very deep and dark duality to it, as they also taught us about British colonialism in India and around the world, and the lasting impact it had on countries and families like ours.
So—like many of us—I watch The Crown, with a combination of sympathy and fascination for the soapy family drama, and a deep desire for accountability as we examine the legacy of empire and colonial institutions this family represents. My feelings toward these people and the institution have always been complicated: Diana inspired me in more ways than I can articulate when it comes to my social justice work, and I have been super obsessed with her for as long as I can remember. Even as I recognized that she was likely a very difficult person to engage with, someone who was always wrestling with her demons right in your face and demanding that full attention be paid to her trauma. Those traumas are real and deserve a voice and an accounting and a healing. But as an adult and a long-time advocate and leader, I very much recognize in her story an exhausting and unproductive dynamic that’s an unfortunate foundation for a lot of social justice leadership.
I didn’t have any feelings at all about the Queen’s recent passing, except for an interest in how Charles will modernize the monarchy: I would love to see Charles and William do away with the monarchy entirely, as that would be the most modern move of all. On the personal soapy drama level of it, I do hope Charles does well in the role, having waited his whole life for it. It helps him that The Crown and other reporting have depicted his life as a child/young person as being largely devoid of parental love, so I’ll always see him as a sympathetic figure. It will be interesting to see if he respects the moves by a number of countries to end their relationship with the monarchy, and if he cuts the amount of public funds the family receives. Again, these acts would all be in service of a modern future, and how invigorating it would be if Charles worked to wind down a creepy institution that elevates one family over the rest of a country due to a long-irrelevant historical legacy.
All this focus on monarchy and empire is hyper-relevant at this very moment, as the World Cup is in full gear. The World Cup always shines a spotlight not just on excellence in sport but also on human rights (very much this time around, given Qatar’s well-documented abuse of migrant workers), corruption, and the legacy of colonialism. It’s always a thrill to watch and root for countries that have either lacked investment or had it stolen from them via colonization go head-to-head with countries that still benefit from their colonial pasts. History and geopolitics are always at play during this tournament.
I’ll admit to feeling torn myself during the US-Iran match. As much as I wanted the US to win so we could advance to the next round, I couldn’t help but feel that the people of Iran—and the players themselves—needed this win more. They’re engaging in protests and facing government crackdowns as the Woman, Life, Freedom movement continues in the aftermath of the death in police custody of Jina Mahsa Amini.
These matches also cause a great deal of reflection on the countries that have heavily Black and Brown squads but white-focused cultures. It’s always amazing to see mainstream sportscasters and commentators dig into these questions during World Cup time, and I love to see the unusual and unexpected conversations that the tournament sparks.
Surf Synthesis: Embracing the Liminal and Unambitious
I finally made it back into the water, and yup, was I out of shape! Luckily I have a good plan for my efforts to get back into the water after too much time away. I remind myself that it’s all about enjoying being in a liminal space: Just being in transition. The whole point for me when I get back into a surf session after a long time is to enjoy the feel of the water, to try to catch some inside waves (waves that have already broken), and to get my paddling form and endurance back. It’s all about being as unambitious as I possibly can.
This is a good model for other aspects of life. We all feel so much pressure to perform and to be constantly at our best. It’s exhausting to be striving all the time. This is the mindset that pushes us out of the present moment and into more of a grasping and chaotic state. There’s something about facing nature head on and saying, “I’m just going to try and show it some respect, and if that’s all I can do, it’s good enough.” I felt a little tense as I waded out with my board, but once I felt the ocean washing over me, it was easy to remember that I don’t actually have to do any of this well, I just have to enjoy it and be present for it. And you can see from my smile above, I was thrilled by the time I came back in to shore.
Tarot Inspiration: The 5 of Cups
The Cups are the suit of water, and of emotions and intuition. Feelings run through us like water, and at the mark of five (halfway through a 1-10 cycle), things can feel a little upside down. You see in the card a desire for forward motion, but also cups that have been knocked over or inverted, emptying their contents. This is the card that came to me as I was writing about the Charles and Diana marriage, something that started with the dreams of a whole world watching, and ended as one of the most famously disastrous marriages on record, with everything kind of kicked and spilled over by the time it was done. And in the larger scheme of world events, this card speaks to grief, to what’s been taken from us, and to opportunities lost.
This card resonates for me when I think of the long arc of what’s lost in colonial legacy. Maybe not the immediate pain and suffering we see in other cards, but something more mournful and wistful, as we look to rebuild a future and capture what’s ours. After all, a few cups are still upright, and in this card, the wounded bird is still moving forward, speaking to hope and possibility, despite injuries of the past. It’s a helpful way to look at the end of one year and the beginning of another.
Have a wonderful and restful holiday season, and a thoughtful and resonant end to 2022. Looking forward to more insights, growth, and connection in 2023!