The Right Number

I read a very nice article today. Some people in a town near Iowa City were planning to hold an event for Bernie Sanders, a potluck dinner. Bernie was actually planning to show up, which would have been awesome, but then, you know, he was in hospital and now he’s at home in Burlington, resting up.
Asked if they were still having the event, one of the organizers said “Of course it’s still on. It was never not on.”
I am sure everyone present will have a great time and meet and network with fellow Berners.
I wonder if this is a sign of the new campaign. Small events, organized locally. It could be a very positive development.
As individuals, we often feel powerless – I know I do. I write a daily blog but I don’t know how many people read it and I often feel like I’m shouting into the wind. Also, though, when you get together with 20,000 other people, you’re not really getting everything you can out of each of those 20,000. You’re just a mob, assembled so the newspapers can say the next day “Huge Crowd Attends Bernie Rally” except they seldom say that, because they are fuckers.
So maybe small, local gatherings, for a couple of dozen or a couple of hundred people, might be more effective. Pot luck dinners, Pancake Breakfasts, Garage Sales, Barbecues in the Park, local entertainment, no-name bands, watch parties, beach cleanups, all sorts of stuff.
A few friends from the neighborhood, together, in small gatherings all across the country, might be exactly the right number.