Here we are.
Another day and, somehow, we survived. It’s interesting how that works out. Just when you think you can’t live in this reality, you wake up and realize you can.
I did the cowardly thing and I stayed home from work after finding out the results of the election. I was in a hyper-emotional state and couldn’t bear the idea of walking into a building where everyone was so publicly celebrating. (To give you an idea of what it’s like at my school, one of the teachers dressed up as Donald Trump for Halloween, walked down the hallways and there were chants of “Donald Trump. Donald Trump” and some kids (who probably see the slogan on the signs hung around school or listen to their parents ramble on at home) chanted “Hillary for Prison.” In an elementary school.
So, I was a coward. I stayed home.
But, in doing so, I spent a good chunk of the day scrolling through news articles, blog posts, and my uber-liberal Facebook feed.
I read Michael Moore’s “Five Point Plan.”
I read this great post by Ali Michael, an educator, about how to talk to our children. “Remind them ― to ease their minds ― that not everyone who voted for Donald Trump did so because they believe the bigoted things that he has said this year. Many of them voted for him because they feel frustrated with the economy, they feel socially left behind, and they are exercising the one power they have.”
I read through every single post in Pantsuits Nation.
And, slowly but surely, I crawled out of the deep, dark hole that I fell in on Tuesday night.
We must consciously believe that WE are what defines this country. Not our politicians. We cannot claim that he is “not our President.” He IS our president and he should be held accountable to it.
We can come together and make change.
“Our campaign was never about one person or even one election,” says Hillary Clinton. “It was about the country we love – and about building an America that’s hopeful, inclusive, and big-hearted.”
This is still possible.
There are so many good people in this country. May our revolution be one of kindness, empathy, acceptance, and love. Doing so against the backdrop of our President Elect – who does not embody these things – will be revolutionary.
It shouldn’t take politics for people to contemplate inclusivity. Every time we get a new President people are not happy.
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But it does. Unfortunately that’s what happens in a two-party system. We divide and then we come back together. It happens when people are passionate about issues. We’re not going to get a nation of people who are 100% aligned on the same thing. What matters is how we deal with it in the end and whether we prioritize being ONE nation.
Thank you for this – my emotions have been running at an all-time high, and I’m so drained. I just need to remind myself that there are people all over the country fighting for kindness, inclusivity and the safety of our brothers and sisters.
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What an honest and open post. While reading your words I could feel your anxiety. I know that we will all eventually have to pull ourselves out of the darkness and back into our lives but what you just wrote here is therapeutic. Now we will live through it, get through it and be done with it.
Thank you for this! I think there are many of us now suffering from post election stress disorder and we need to feel connected to each other. Again, thank you.
Thanks for sharing, I love you Div!!
I’ll just throw this out there and say I’m a conservative (which also means I’m not a Trump fan, because he’s definitely not). But that means I do (did) feel your pain – in 2008 and again in 2012. Hang in there. Have faith in America’s institutions – they were designed to keep any one person from running amok with the government. This too shall pass, and America will still be here.
One day there will be a woman who steps forward and transcends identity politics and even perhaps the widening left/right divide and captures the heart of this entire country. It HAS to be a woman, because the base nature of men is to lead and charge forward and fight (which is what we constantly see in leadership), not bring together and nurture (which is what America really needs).
Chins up. There’s still work to be done for all of us.
🙂
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Matt, I’m EatTeachBlog’s sister, so I read every one of her posts with so much pride and love. Sometimes I comment, mostly I don’t. Never before have I commented on another reader’s post.
Thank you for saying what you said. And for doing it in a way that is inclusive and encourages dialogue and engagement.
It’s hard to carve out a path forward when things seems so divided and tensions are running high. Which is why your comment was especially meaningful and much-needed.
My chin is up, in part, thanks to you.
I love that quote by Michael Moore! Thank you for sharing!
I can’t blame you for staying home! I was working one-on-one with a dementia client yesterday who had absolutely no idea what was going on; a blessing and a curse for me, I think. I am choosing to review these results as a challenge we can beat if enough of us stand together.
Divya, I am amazed at how engrossed you had me right from the word go. So beautifully written that I even went through every comment of yours.
Great post! Even here in South Africa, I don’t know what to think and what this means for the world, because we are all affected. For me, I guess it comes down to… if we want to change the world we have to start with ourselves.
Agree 100% Thanks for your post, it is a dark time and many of us need the help of others to find our voice on these issues. Strength to you in your school, and to us all!
I find that politics brings out the worst in people. No matter who wins, someone is not happy. At the end of the day if we want change, we have to do it ourselves. I was never divided, I believe in democracy and the options to choose. This is what I believe makes our country great. It gets disgusting when people are full of hate because someone does not agree with them and then a group of people go out and have a 3-year-old temper tantrum. Everything happens for a reason, this will shake our government to the core and we need that… after 4 years we will find someone else to put the foundation back together again.
The problem with going strictly off the popular vote is it completely abandons and invalidates the rural areas of the country. NYC has more people then 38 states, so does NYC matter more then everyone else? With a popular vote it will ALWAYS be swayed towards the high density urban areas, and invalidate and ignore the low density rural areas that feed our country. California has more people then Texas, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Nebraska combined yet these states feed our country. Under a popular vote their voices don’t matter.
Micheal Moore says we need to abandon the electoral college so because is is old and it is the reason Trump won. OK, so then does that mean that what people in California, NYC, Chicago matter more then the people of Ohio, Wisconsin, Texas, any of the other states where Trump WON the popular vote due to Cali, NYC, Chicago having more people?
The electoral college lets the voices of every voting citizen matter, not just the high density urban areas.
I can really relate to the feels— I spent the whole day reading through several polls results, analytics, and many many articles. But now we have to accept, and keep moving forward with our values.
— DT | Here I Scribble
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I think it’s important that keep pressure on our leaders to make decisions that will help everyone. They have to listen when enough people speak up. I think a lot of us tuned out for the last eight+ years and many people were left behind because of it.
I love this post. People are just being so mean to each other all over. Have to be inclusive!
I will take courage in this post, the links you mentioned and all the posts from bloggers and thinkers I’ve read over the past two days. And I will remind myself that the world has not ended. Even though it feels like the end is near.
This election seemed to be one of the most stressful for many people. I’m glad your feeling better about all of it today.
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What a well written post, I think that we the people should always stand united together. Like in the old history books.
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I am glad you took ownership of your cowardness. The world is not ending and this happens every 4,8 or 12 years . People need to get off the rants and get to work on helping the social issues they are concerned about. Volunteer or give $$ don’t go crazy on FB.
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This actually does NOT happen every 4, 8, or 12 years. This election is not comparable to anything that we’ve experienced previously, which is why a majority of America is disheartened with the outcome. This is why it’s hard to accept what has happened. And people are actually allowed to experience grief and allowed to rant on Facebook. And allowed to be a coward. For a day. Then, we pick ourselves up and do what we need to do to move on.
Thank you for writing this. I’m afraid, exhausted, and have been numb since Tuesday. All around the country there are statements about blatant harassment from his supporters to people based on race, religion, nationality and identity. I fear that this is our world now, and that it has only just begun. Yet I’m relieved to see that for all the haters, there are people who genuinely care too. I’m not sure if I believe yet that love trumps hate, but I sure do hope so.
It looks like, this is the most stressful election I’ve ever heard. This is a written-well post.
I wish that we didn’t need these face slaps to show us just how far we still must go. But I also know that we as a country and a people have overcome much in the past, and as imperfect as we are, we CAN change and evolve for the better.
At least, I must believe that. Or what is even the point?
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You are so honest about this. I hope everything turns out well, we need prayers.
I just can’t get over it. I’m still waiting for the punchline on. The last time I was THIS emotional about an election was when Bush won a second term. Yes, I know I’m Canadian and I guess it shouldn’t matter to me who won but it does. It matters to a LOT of people.
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I’m exited to see what will happen in the next four years. The elections have definitely been very stressful for a lot of people. I’m glad you are feeling better.
I was actually cursing the telly when I saw on CNN that Trump won. I was hoping that Hillary would win for obvious reasons, and I am just as appalled as you are with the results.
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As someone who voted for this change I’m exciting see it actually happen now. Only way that can happen though is we all come together and work together
What is happening in America is sad. I say this as an outsider..neither of the parties can stand on a hill and cry “innocence”. As an outsider, I see a reality of two extremes wishing to co-exist, and eventually only one can win. That there is no party that exists to balance things out is what America must cry for. If I was American, I would have voted for neither of the 2 candidates.
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I keep thinking that we have gone back in time….way way back. Sigh, the more things change the more they remain the same
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As disappointing as it seems we really have no choice but to help each other in building a brighter future for our children. I fear what the future holds but if we keep working towards the betterment of our country, I’m sure it won’t be as bad as we think it would be.
It’s sad to see our nation being divided into groups that’s filled with so much hatred for the other. It’s like we’re going backwards. We have to keep fighting for our country though, we need to help each other out.
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