I have been tuning out on news and most social media, but I have been tuning into how I feel and how I am processing where we are at. I initially felt equal parts anger and despondency. I am thankful that I sat with those feelings and did not rush to share them. They were raw and unrefined. After eleven days, they have softened a bit. I still feel sadness and disappointment, but I am trying to prevent these feelings from driving my experience.
The last eight years have taken their toll on me. My stress and anxiety levels have remained elevated and regularly peak to new highs. I don’t want to admit to the amount of time I have lost with my family due to my anger and anxiety over the news and the state of our government. I have spent too much time staring at my phone instead of being present in the moment. I lost my sense of humor in 2016 and have never fully regained it. It’s easy to blame the polarizing President-Elect, because he comes across as an awful person, with questionable scruples. However, I mostly just blame people. I blame a party who repeatedly decided to nominate the most unqualified individual to lead their ticket and the people who either decided to vote for him or those who decided to sit it out and let it happen. If you’re not going to take this assignment seriously, then why should I?