Disclaimer: This post is not (at the core, anyway) about cars or chow. However, it is about "so much more," or at least I think it is. I hope you find it helpful. (Please read all the way through if you can.)
I've been thinking a lot lately about the past two years, and specifically the effects they have had on us as people. Collectively and individually, we have all been through some level of trauma, and our bodies and minds are only now starting to come to grips with it. Our individual and collective patience is exhausted, which causes us to enter "fight or flight" mode far more readily than we may have in the past. We may also find ourselves thinking in the binary far more easily and far more often, rather than looking at the totality of (insert thing here).
When we hear of something and perceive it as a threat at any level, we may find ourselves inclined to completely panic and lose all hope. And in many situations, that panic and loss of hope may well be 100% justified. I have long believed, and do more so now than ever before, that if we don't stay informed and actively seek to better our world, it will not get better and it will actually regress. Furthermore, if we brush things off with the attitude of "it can't be THAT bad" or "I can't do anything about it anyway," the issue at hand won't stand a chance of being resolved or fixed. If enough of us have this attitude, how can we trust that enough people out there WILL do the necessary work to fix the issue at hand?
For me, personally, it is downright discouraging to see some of our political leaders actively making it harder to vote, and other political leaders seemingly championing bipartisanism (in the form of the frequently-abused Senate filibuster) more strongly than securing everyone's right to vote. This, combined with gerrymandering efforts, as well as the fact that some elected officials represent disproportionately small numbers of people, causes me to lose nearly all hope that our country's proud tradition of majority rule will survive the next couple years, let alone the next decade. I am more unnerved about our country, politically, than I have been in my entire lifetime. I can't help but think that I'm not the only one, and what fleetingly gives me hope is that enough other folks out there are as pissed off as I am. With enough folks sick of the status quo, perhaps things will change for the better, and the particular institutions that need updating to ensure democracy's chances in the 21st century will actually be updated.
(Just to be clear, if my preferred candidate or party loses an election, I will absolutely accept the results. I may not be happy, but I will accept the results. This is, of course, assuming that all voters in the geographic area relevant to that election had a fair and easy opportunity to cast their ballots, without ANY voter suppression. It is our responsibility as citizens to ensure that this is the case, and that NONE of our elected officials suppress anyone's votes out of fear of losing future elections.)
Another area that has been incredibly discouraging as of late has been so many elected officials', and even the CDC's, apparent act of 'throwing in the towel' with respect to containing COVID and keeping our most vulnerable folks safe. A disease prevention agency should NOT be dumbing down its guidance with the goal of preserving the economy, unless doing so PREVENTS A DISEASE. People should not be getting away with failing to wear their masks in indoor settings, and our employers, elected officials, law enforcement officers, etc. should not be turning a blind eye to those who flout COVID safety measures. As someone whose profession demands in-person work (and for good reason), it enrages me when folks don't do everything within their power to bring this pandemic to an end as quickly as possible. Those whose jobs CAN be done remotely as successfully as in-person should be allowed to telecommute, no questions asked, for their safety and that of those around them. Those whose jobs MUST be done in-person must be masked, and it must be enforced. And those who have to work in-person during this pandemic DESERVE hazard pay. It's long overdue, especially for our health care workforce and critical infrastructure workers.
Accepting that everyone is inevitably going to get COVID is NOT the right answer, and it incenses me that so many, including the institutions and organizations that are supposed to be guiding us, are just throwing the towel in.
It's not that hard to do the right thing, folks. It's not that hard to put your selfishness aside and not be a dick.
All of that said, it is CRUCIAL to remember that no two people have the exact same lived experience, and in some cases, someone who seems like a monster for (insert reason here) might just be in need of some kind education and some love. We are complex creatures, and we need to remember that when dealing with one another. Yes, we need to stay on top of our game and call those out who are bringing our world down in any way, but we need to look at the big picture and let its innate complexity guide our interactions and our takeaways of any and all situations.
At this point, if you're still reading, I apologize for so much angry word-vomit. Or maybe I don't. I thought about deleting it and starting again, but context is important. I want to establish how easy it is to feel helpless and hopeless about so many things in our current world, and help those who feel that way to know that they're not alone. But I also want to share a little bit about how one can balance their minds out and still appreciate the good that's out there, because despite what we may think, there still IS a lot of good out there. CELEBRATING the good things is crucial, not only as a way to stay sane these days, but because good things are intrinsically worthy of celebration. Here are some good things that I've been privy to as of late, that I have celebrated internally. Maybe you've been privy to some similar good things in your orbits:
-- A student NAILS something they've been struggling with for a while. In my world as a music teacher, this has been a brass player getting a clean-sounding high note, grasping a difficult rhythmic concept, falling in love with jazz improvisation, finally cracking the code to translating written rhythms and pitches into actual sound on an instrument, etc. The list goes on and on, and quite frankly, it's so inspiring to witness these successes as they happen.
-- The sunrise pokes through the clouds on the drive to work, and just looks stunning. This happens quite a bit, and it's spectacular to witness.
-- A friend or family member has something amazing happen to them. It could be the birth of a child, it could be scoring a role in a production or a promotion at work, it could be patching up a relationship (platonic, romantic, professional, or familial), it could be gathering the courage to leave a toxic situation, it could be anything that betters their life and/or their health. These little "wins" are beautiful and should be celebrated.
Success looks different for everyone. What might seem like a huge deal to someone might not to someone else, and vice versa. It doesn't matter. What matters is that we cherish and celebrate these little things as much as we can, because doing so lifts us up and lifts those around us up, and these little pick-me-ups are as crucial as ever now.
What are YOU celebrating these days? Leave it in the comments!
