Dear fellow non-Tr*mp supporting Americans,
I know it's hard right now. I feel it deep down to my bones every single morning. With a deep sigh and a slight headache I wonder what I'm going to face in each morning's newspaper.
It's a scary time right now. And as my friend Cheryl said, 'this is new to all of us" and I'm still not exactly sure how we move forward. We can fight, we can stay informed, we can make amazing signs and participate in history-making marches, we can write blog posts, we can make the time to write or call our state and local legislators to make sure our voices are heard (in addition to voting of course)... but all of this especially for introverts is exhausting.
I'm not only an introvert, but one who is also highly sensitive... a term I'm not entirely comfortable with, because it sounds like I can't handle anything, I can't take any type of criticism, etc... but what it really means is that I'm extremely aware of the energy, vibrations, emotions, and changes around me.
- It means there are days I can't handle lights, noises, or even things like the electricity of a tv being on.
- It means I can only wear certain types of clothing because fabrics that rub my skin the wrong way could make my entire day miserable.
- It means I hate being in a crowd and I love one-on-one company, but even then I can be completely drained after an hour or two.
- It means I get where my dog is coming from on most days and how she responds to my energy.
I also realize this sounds like nonsense to a lot of people, but if this sounds familiar to you, or you're interested in understanding more about highly sensitive personalities, please visit Elaine Aron's site. And more to the point it helps explain how basically this whole political thing has been a huge challenge, because I feel that justice, simple decency, human rights, and basic democracy are being violated every single day... and therefore my beliefs and my rights are being violated every single day. So it's hard. There are days it seriously sucks.
This image has been popping up in my Facebook feed a lot lately. And right now, it basically feels like my life. I want to be informed, I want to know what's going on and I want to be up to speed on what's going to happen to our country. The thing is... none of us really know... and no matter how informed I am, I'm not going to know exactly what's going on. This administration is moving so quickly and with such bewilderingly little wisdom or thought, that I just can't keep up on a daily basis.
So I'm still learning how to do this. I'm still learning how to wake up every day in the country we're in, with the administration at hand, and still go about my day like it's just "another day." Because even just saying that feels like giving up or giving in or simply being complacent.
However, I'm also learning that it's not complacency. Being complacent means not caring at all, pretending it's not happening, and not being willing to participate in making changd. And I care about the future of our country more than I've ever cared before. Ever. I can honestly say before November 7, 2016 I was somewhat complacent, however after, I never will be again.
So how do we do this? How do we keep on living in the midst of fear, in the midst of instability, and in the midst of a country that's changing every single day?
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| Emma says hi... she'd really like a bone and she wishes you wouldn't worry so much... because it makes her worry too, and she's an A+ worrier :-p |
I honestly don't know yet. But I'm trying. And I'm learning that self-care right now is more important than ever. So the next few weeks I'm going to lay low with social media. With two grad school classes (which probably is a blessing in disguise right now) I'm going to focus on what I can.
I also eventually plan on reading Aldous Huxley's classic "A Brave New World" which I've heard much like Margaret Atwood's "A Handmaid's Tale," as it relates to so much of what we've been going through the past year and a half.
So what about YOU? How are you coping? Are you okay? What are you doing to take care of yourself these days. I'd love to know what types of self-care are working well for you.
We're all in this together. Please know you're not alone.
