Helium Balloon Metaphor

I imagine rich people as helium balloons.

We are constantly at risk of floating off into thin air, where our ideas and imaginations and whims and wishes, take over, sending us farther and farther away from the ground, from people and relationships, from reality.

You know. Like Elon Musk and SpaceX.

We float away because of the way money and upward mobility and capitalism enables, isolates, confuses and separates us from so many of the wonderful things about being human…community, mutual support, vulnerability, friendship, kindness, asking for help.

Our job as progressive wealthy people organizers is to tie strings to these rich people/helium balloons. Strings that connect them to community and movement and the collective needs of the majority of humans.

The strings are our relationships. Our jobs is to tie as many strings to each rich person as possible so they don’t drift off into the thin air and unreality of wealth.

What makes these strings strong?

Real human connection, relationships, friendships, kindness, caring, honesty, reciprocity.

What are we tying the rich people too in this metaphor?

Each one of us.

And more than that, communities of collective care and collective action.

Ideally, political and organizing homes that are part of working class led, cross-class, revolutionary movements to transform society. Political and organizing homes with cross-class, multi-racial left leadership like Solidaire, Resource Generation, Donors of Color Network, Movement Voter Project, Groundswell and Way to Win to name a few.

Each string, each relationship, makes it more likely the wealthy person will stay, will have the chance to be organized, will have the chance to return their wealth, reclaim their full humanity, and be part of the most exciting thing I can think of…groups of humans working together to change the world for the better.