The nightmare is finally fading away though it’s not gone completely yet. Like a post-surgical dream (I’ve had plenty of those), awakening to a changed reality in a hospital room is akin to how many of us feel today. Looking around it seems to be a completely different world.
But two treasured people in my life were on the other side. With my son, there has been some nasty things said but I think we are past that. He now says he won’t vote again. I am working hard at not saying good in response. But then reality kicks in and then I go “that’s not how this works.” I wondered would he even be receptive to that. Then he called while I was writing this. We started to argue – he wouldn’t shut up. I said my piece and said discussion closed permanently. He said okay. I told him I love him and we parted amicably.
My best friend and have had a mutual agreement to not talk about several issues for decades now because we’ve always been aware of our differences. A peek into her hidden world took me aback in 2016. I still love her. I always will. I assume we will never talk politics again. So glad she and I can move forward with love to continue being each other’s support.
I don’t forgive … because that speaks of wrongs. I don’t need to talk to either of them about this election outcome. Back in 2002, I was working during the election count in Georgia in a rural, very conservative county. Folks knew me well enough to know I did not support Brian Kemp for state office. When he won, a young man walked over to me to literally laugh at me because my candidate had lost. The jokes on him now with Brian Kemp in office and making a hash of Georgia; oh, yeah, and Georgia’s going blue. WHAT? But his laughter was a omen of times to come and I’ve seen that reaction way too many times in the last four years. I don’t forgive him. I just note his childishness and need to strike out after having won. I will not do that. I will not dwell on today.
My point is that we just need to pick up and move forward. Our nation needs to pick up and move forward while ignoring the fringe crazies who just aren’t our friends to start with. (If you have family member like this, I’m sorry!) I go forward knowing that I still have to watch these conspiracy theorists. We cannot ignore them; we have to be aware of what’s happening. But we don’t respond, we simply work at beating back the insanity and promoting reality.
There are a number of imperatives now. Work on containing the virus which will improve the economy, improving our international reputation while simultaneously exploring how to make this country more equitable, removing the political appointees, restoring our civil servants and rule of law. Not to mention creating new laws to solidify all that has been proved to be custom only. That’s a lot of work. As a country I know we can do this.
Dan Rather’s book, What Unites Us, is a good read that reminds us of who we have always been. I heartily suggest you find a copy and read it all. #Steady is the main thing I took away from that book. Steady, stay on the course, realize this is a blip in history – a nasty one for sure – and hopefully life changing for this country. We have to do better.
We have to hope that DC can come together and move us along. It’s not just up to Biden; in the end it’s up to Congress to make sure we have a way forward. I have to hope folks will again revert to some kind of normal – where their words and thoughts aren’t being dictated by the White House. I have to hope.
If we listen, if we open our minds and hearts to others, we can move forward. Before the 2016 election I sat down with a newly discovered cousin. We didn’t agree on anything except one thing. This country has problems and to some degree we all agree on what those problems are. We just respond differently and see different paths. We have to move forward. We have long way to go.
Once I finish crying, I can think more clearly about our future. It’s time to move forward.
#Steady
Onward