In the midst of the past week and the ongoing father-in-law adventure was a horrible election. This historic - yet again - event did not get lost in the shuffle and in a weird way, it was a relief that it wasn't front stage and center in my brain. Because if that was the only thing I would have had to focus on, I would still be in bed.
So...here we go again. Except this time it will probably be worse; as there are no guard rails this time. I cannot sugar coat it.
As staying in the bed for the next four years is not a viable option, I focused on what could be done. I wrote about this the last time this disaster happened. (see 2016 and 2020 posts) This time I fear for peoples safety. This time no one is safe from the actions of the incoming administration.
On one of the social media apps someone said "Well, at least we live in a blue state so we're lucky..." and that was immediately shouted down. It was rude, like eating cake in front of starving children, and it was not a good take. We will have a target on our state because it is blue.
The first thing I did as a coping technique was cull through my facebook friends. I did not look at the count so I don't know how many were deleted. Anyone whom I haven't interacted with at all were deleted, many who are now Red Hat Wearers were deleted. Requests I accepted "just because" - deleted. The gentleman that I've written about commenting/"debating"/educating me on my posts after being asked not to. If you can't honor boundaries then I will make mine bigger.
Remaining are people that I consider friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers - past and present, and friends of Kevin/race car friends. The friend count is mis-leading because the family is a big one. There may be further cuts and there were a few that I wavered about.
My point though, if you can't honor boundaries or if you cannot be a decent human being and/or still support the very devil incarnate, I'm not interested in giving you access to my life. This isn't a simple disagreement about "politics", this is now a choose your side and hope you're right situation.
Next task was to cull through my email subscriptions. Gone were the news updates and breaking news alerts. I unsubscribed from the newspaper that declined to endorse a candidate. Anything that is going to mention TFG on the daily was unsubscribed.
Then The Hollywood Reporter posted this article: How to Block TFG from All Your Screens I suggest giving that a browse if you are so inclined.
Which brings me to the twitter/threads/bluesky situation. I downloaded my profile on the twitter and deactivated the account. It feels like bluesky is going to be the front runner on this kind of platform and that's where my BFF has an account so I'm going to try to focus on growing that profile. I may put the news as focus on one and entertainment on the other. I don't know yet; other than I don't have the attention span to monitor/upkeep both.
More pragmatic ideas that I have read:
One of the most comforting ideas that I read was to treat these next four years like we did during the pandemic: Stay home, stay safe, do comfort activities. Work on improving the space around you.
Get vaccinated. Get all the immunizations you can, while you can. Make sure you're up-to-date.
Get all your health stuff completed: dental, physical, vision exams. MENTAL HEALTH.
Cancel any health tracking or period tracking apps. This may seem paranoid but I've seen it suggested multiple times; enough to list it here.
Get or renew your passport
Complete legal paperwork - get the divorce, complete the will, change your name, adopt the children.
Get a library card and use it.
Have cash on hand for emergencies. As much as you can afford and/or are comfortable with.
Make the big purchase now...if you need a refrigerator, car or home improvements do it now before prices increase.
Stock up. Like the pandemic, stock up on paper goods, canned goods, non-perishables, OTC medicine, etc. Stock up on clothing if you have kiddos and it's feasible. Supply, demand and prices will be an issue.
People suggest stop using the shamazon. I understand the principle and support it. It's not feasible for some though. If you live rurally, shamazon can be a lifesaver. I'm reading that Target and Lowes are good alternatives however.
Donate - if you are able, donate to these organizations:
- Planned Parenthood
- ACLU
- Trevor Project and any LGBTQ+ organizations
- The Human Rights Campaign
- Local non-profits
- PBS and NPR
Hopefully this is a little bit of help when many of us are feeling bleak and powerless. If you have any ideas that I haven't included, put them in the comments and we can post a list later for quick reference.
2 comments:
I get so irate at people who say things like "I'm safe" or "it won't impact me" or "I live in a blue state." I mean, I'm upset for a lot of reasons, but it's not about me. It's about the most vulnerably in our society, it's about the needy who won't get resources, it's about a madman having nuclear codes that could kill us all, it's about how more than half the voting population thinks a buffoon who has declared bankruptcy in his businesses is better qualified than a black woman who has been a respectable public servant for decades. I hope we all make it through the next four years.
I will note here that Target is a great resource - as it doesn't matter if you don't live near a Target to order. And besides, you only have to spend $35 to get free two day delivery. And who can't spend $35 on only three items in this day and age?
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