An estimated 5000 people formed a silent human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge today as part of a national attempt to convince our world leaders to send peacekeeping troops to Darfur, Sudan.

I have to admit I wasn’t one of them.

Even though the horror in East Africa has been on my radar for awhile and I deeply admire the organizers of today’s nationwide events, I’ve never been a marcher. I don’t like crowds; rather than feeling like I’m “part of a movement” at any big social activism rally, I tend to get distracted by the overwhelming number of people with mullets.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t support the cause, it’s just that I’m a much better armchair activist; I gave the gas money I would have spent getting there to the American Jewish World Service, who makes it easy to donate to the direct aid for the people of Darfur.

Instead today I supported one of my favorite Africans, singer and choreographer Mabiba Baegne, by taking her dance class in Bolinas, far away from the Sunday traffic and not a mullet in sight. Mabiba is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she has lost many family members to the chaos and violence of yet another complicated, corrupt African war.

I feel my time was better spent being one of thirty honoring this teacher than as part of the larger crowd further south.

Bless you if you marched today. I hope and pray it makes a difference. You know what Margaret Mead always said.

Which reminds me, who’s not going to work tomorrow?