November 5th, 2024 will be an election for the history books or at least for the near future around the water coolers, online via Social Media platforms, and in text exchanges. Today, picking up our kiddo from school, you could feel the tiptoed conversations. There seemed to be less conversation in the waiting area outside our grade level's school doors. Chit chat was less chatty. I listened intently for any cues that suggested someone might be "safe" to speak with and strike up a conversation. I left space both physically and relationally and allowed for engaging on what the future may hold. At that moment, I heard it, a subtle, "yeah, it's going to be an long interesting 4 years." I added my woes and click, we both knew, we were on the same page. A family we had started spending more time with, just gained points in the safe bucket.
"What happened?" That's probably the most used phrase I've seen and heard posted and questioned in the past 11 days. Many simply trying to make sense of what happened and more importantly why...Why had so many elected a felon, rapist, racist, misogynist, vile of a human for the second time!?
As much as I avoided wanted to listen to much of what "he" said this past few months, I knew I had to be diligent to understand the position he was taking. I knew I had to listen to what was going on so that if the time came, we all were reminded of why we had not voted for him.
Without a doubt in my mind, I know he is not a good person. I can hear the way he speaks, the way he addresses people, insults people, stumbles through interviews, literally throwing words around as if their meaning has no effect on others around him. He has encircled himself with others in power with more wealth than they deserve and created a world that is not safe, welcoming, or balanced.
The image above was AI'd (that is now the verb for when something is created by Artificial Intelligence that I'm coining if not already, haha) Created by DALL-E with ChatGPT, it represents all the turmoil I've been feeling inside for some time. The fear, sadness, anger, frustration, challenge. All of it has surfaced into a conglomeration of feelings that I wanted visualized in a way that I can see what I can't touch.
While there is no priority with all that I'm feeling, meaning, it pains me equally how another term of the wrong candidate has hurt so many: left women questioning their body autonomy safety; left black and brown brothers and sisters fearing for what Project 2025 will do; left all of us who voted for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and feeling hope, excitement, "goodness" for what could come for our country and world...the thing that truly has me feeling confused is the lack of family and friends who've spoken up in protest/disgust. But rather, have remained silent. It makes me wonder, who voted for him...who chose hate, villainy, divisiveness, over love, hope, unity...
I've seen comments and videos of those who've sworn to separate from friends and family. To simply unfriend them. How do you "unfriend" family? While separation from family has not been beneath me before and enforcing boundaries of what I will not tolerate. It's difficult to know what boundaries to leverage when those who may have supported "him" have not voiced a stance. A coworker stated today, they didn't vote for him, yet didn't vote for Harris. So, is that better? The same or worse?
I've seen comments and videos of those who've sworn to separate from friends and family. To simply unfriend them. How do you "unfriend" family? While separation from family has not been beneath me before and enforcing boundaries of what I will not tolerate. It's difficult to know what boundaries to leverage when those who may have supported "him" have not voiced a stance. A coworker stated today, they didn't vote for him, yet didn't vote for Harris. So, is that better? The same or worse?
Jesus's teachings support the idea of "love all, serve all." But when someone as putrid as he shows nothing that even closely models anything "Christian," again, I'm at a loss for how people can identify as loving and kind.
The emotional turmoil will continue. And while we sit by and watch his nominations of ill-capable individuals being appointed to cabinet positions, the fear simply continues to bore a hole into the abyss of the "America Unknown" that we will navigate for 4 more years. Sigh...God help us, and God bless us indeed.