Today is Veteran’s day which is a time schools and federal agencies are closed but everyone else has to work. However, nobody really wants to work so the day can often be slow.
This year continues to bewilder and looking at the calendar it is quite shocking to see we’re almost at the end of 2020. Everything was going along normally, then in April everything shuts down. Since that time it is as though I’ve been in a daze. So much has changed and the world is a different place now on an even bigger scale than after 9/11. We not only have the pandemic to deal with but also politics and the two are closely related. Since Republicans are unable to wear masks due to absolute stupidity, the country cannot get the virus under control. Now, we’ve had an election where Biden has clearly won but Trump will not concede and looks to be making dictator moves by scaring everyone with his Pentagon firings. I always thought there were adults at the wheel who would ensure everything was OK here in the USA but as it turns out there isn’t. Nobody thought Trump could win and cause the damage he did but here we are. Now, I believe the military wouldn’t intervene in politics like in third world countries yet here we are. Due to Trump’s narcissistic inability to admit defeat he has created a very dangerous situation where anything is possible. I’ve seen news articles but I wonder if they aren’t holding back how dangerous this really is so as not to cause a panic. I wonder if I’ll soon see US military jets streaking across the sky. Too much you ask? I never thought my old friends would support someone who makes fun of the handicapped, supports white supremacist groups and is willing to tear the country apart for his own gain. But here we are.
An entire world can change overnight. We become comfortable in routine, in the familiar and then suddenly it can all be gone.
As for my mindset I’m doing OK but I have not experienced sudden, euphoric joy in a long time. My mind has been even tempered for the most part through the pandemic but thanks to politics there are many dark clouds rolling through. I have to be cognizant of my thoughts and I use mindfulness, meditation and exercise to keep my mind more on the positive side than the negative.
What is really disheartening is the loss of many friends. So many of our Japanese friends here in Pacifica have gone back to Japan. This was five families in our inner circle! These were the people we celebrated birthdays with, had cookouts, and saw each other quite a few times a week. All gone! Well, there are others and we will strengthen other friendships but with the pandemic it is hard to do at the moment.
I also was on the verge of losing old friends due to the election. The Republicans post so many things that are not true that even the very platforms had to start putting labels on their nonsense. Well, I got tired of this and spent two weeks letting my opinions be known. The difference is my opinions are factual, and I’m on the good team. History will show that under Trump the Republicans have dragged the USA as close to fascism as it has ever been. They would ruin all the good America stands for to see their aims achieved, even suspend democracy itself. It is exactly that they are trying to do now.
And so in sharing my opinions I obviously upset some people. But given the hate they support I’m fine with ending some friendships and went ahead and defriended some old acquaintances that never commented or liked my posts except to put a comment in support of Trump on my political posts. Just because I was acquainted with them in the past is no reason to give them a window into my life. Bye bye. And I’m not done. I’ve found it feels very good to get rid of those people. My tolerance absolutely depends on our level of friendship/interaction in the past. If it was relatively light then they quickly find themselves defriended. I don’t like them and I no longer want to hear from them.
As for the pandemic there is talk of a vaccine as we go through yet another huge spike in cases thanks to stupid Republicans. You know, Trump Republicans are like that idiotic family member that you never want to be around but you cannot get rid of either. As for me, I think we’ll see some signs of normality by May. That is still a long way to go but at least we have a little joy to look forward to with the holidays.
We’re fine here in our little seaside village of Pacifica. I wonder and worry for households across America though. Everyone suddenly got terrible trial which is going to rupture so many families. Not only does everyone have to be around each other most of the time but the financial devastation will also cause a lot of divorce. Many children are experiencing very bad environments from which they cannot escape as they could with school. This pandemic kills and maims but the vast majority of damage is going to come in the form of psychological damage, broken homes and a whole year lacking in development for many. And with the way Republicans are spewing out poison a good part of America is learning, and liking, how to hate.
I can only think that with the raw hate and anger of the Republican side America will never again be whole. This divisiveness will continue until there is some type of split, just like social media is now splitting along political lines. I think a civil war will happen eventually, unless political leaders (Republicans) stop accepting that ripping the country apart is OK so long as they retain power.
And that is 2020.
