Reprieve

Coping with the state of the union or lack of is a daily daunting task.  I go through my day with emotional swings that match tweets I read about the state of the union feeling helpless. I resurrected my blog writing weekly political op-eds to at least get a voice.  Since Trump was elected, I’ve done things to make a difference.  I went to the Women’s March in D.C. the day after the inauguration, I’ve organized post card parties sending messages to political officials, made hundreds of calls to politicians.  I’ve gotten on every progressive email list around, joined a Huddle that followed both the Women’s March and Invisible recommendations for actions.  All of these gave me hope at least for a moment but none has given me lasting hope that could possible outlast Trump’s era. I need some reprieve.   

In the beginning of Trump’s presidency, I woke and turned on Morning Joe to get a blow by blow update.  When I shared this with friends there were doing the same thing.  We were watching blow by blow our democracy deteriorates.  This motivated me and some of my friends and occasionally still does today.  Let’s face it there is an issue almost every day to write your legislature about.  Lately I’ve been broadening my news sources turning to Democracy Now, Reuters, and New York Times.

I attended the Women’s March in D.C. coming home with so much hope that was shattered within days. The women who stayed at the house where I got housing came to D.C. from all over the East coast.  Most had never been to a march, written their legislature, or did any kind of political work for progressive change.  What I got out these women’s stories was that they felt strongly about doing something because they couldn’t take the newly elected misogynous Trump and wanted to stand up to him to say no more. 

Some of my friends talked about moving to Canada or some other democratic friendly country during Trump’s campaign.  I shunned this idea and wanted to take up the fight, something I’ve done during the second wave of women’s liberation and the gay rights movement.  Going to Thailand to study Human Rights last year accomplished both getting out of the current state of the union and getting a purpose.  I got a deeper understanding about Human Rights not only in the United States but in world.  When asked why I was there I had a one-word answer, Trump. 

Today my hope for turning around the state of the union comes from news of the Mueller investigation.  At the same time, I explore this little deeper and think your courts are the real governing body of the state of the union.  I was full of hope when Nancy Pelosi  wouldn’t let Trump give his “State of the Union” address before congress while the government was shut down.  It took a woman to stand up to Trump and for the moment he seems to be listening.  I measure progress in moments, in tweets, in sound bits.  Now that Nancy Pelosi is allowing Trump to give his “State of the Union” address I don’t think I can listen to him.  I never can, instead I listen to the commentator’s summary afterwards, read op-eds from liberal press to get the jest. 

As I write this, I realize I’m burned out on Trump because I’m trying everything to fight him.  I need a break.  I’m making plans to walk the Camino de Santiago for some reprieve.  I’m walking for some peace of mind.  It’s in personal contact with people talking to people with compassion that I find my most hopeful moments.  How do get reprieve from the current state of the union.  Do just check out of the news, take action, hope it all goes away soon.  We all ask ourselves when will this be over.  I have no answers, and when you get to the point of no answers it’s a sign of burn out and time to step back to take stock of in this case the state of the union.