Blog#222-11/10/24
HOW TO SURVIVE THE NEXT FOUR YEARS
By
Richard Davis
Now, more than ever, is a time for those of us who are experiencing difficult emotions to move on. It is not that easy, but if we let immoral, unethical and brain-dead people climb into our consciousness then we will lose whatever sanity we have. It is a new world and we have to find ways to protect ourselves from things that should not be.
I am finding a great deal of comfort in being around people who are feeling the same things as I. We do not have to speak directly about what has happened to our psyches and we can indulge in activities that create distractions for us. It is almost the same as someone who has experienced a traumatic event and who finds comfort in being around those who have experienced the same thing.
Context is important. Our lives might change over the next four years but we still have the people and things in our life that matter. When I was working with people who were suffering from a variety of horrible medical conditions I often felt grateful for what I had because my life was so easy compared to theirs. Whatever happened to me paled in comparison to whatever they had to deal with.
Some Americans may feel that their world has collapsed, but think about the more than 41,000 people who have died in Gaza and the 1.7 million people who have been bombed and had their homes and towns decimated on a daily basis. Sadly, their lives may be worse because of the American election, but we can still continue to advocate for them by protesting that war. That kind of activity will give us perspective on our own lives.
The people of Ukraine are also suffering and it looks like things may get worse for them. Those of us who still hope for justice in the world cannot give up that fight and we still have an obligation to do whatever we can to try to protect the Ukrainian people. The politics make it seem like a lost cause, but mass protest may be the only tool left to Americans who embrace equality and justice.
On a personal level it is critical for us to maintain the closeness we have to friends and loved ones. We will find that no matter what madness is playing out in the world around us, the people we love the most will help us feel better and show us that there are smaller worlds where things still make sense.
This is a time when it may be a good idea to take up a new hobby or dig in and work on endeavors that have been left on the wayside for a few years. Get out that old musical instrument or dust off the old tools and fix some of the things that have been lying broken for years.
Most important of all, try to ration your exposure to the mainstream media because they will be focused on the trials and tribulations of the most immoral administration in the history of the United States. We don’t need to hear that vile name a thousand times a day. Take your news in small doses.
If you tend to listen to the radio move toward music instead of news. There is a large variety of music platforms that can accommodate just about anyone’s taste. Enrich your connections to friends and loved ones and put the effort into making relationships stronger than ever. That is something that will give us power and strength.
