This is not a political post. This is a human plea. This is a rallying cry shouted into the final eve before things change once more. Things always change once more, then once more after that. Nothing stays the same, nothing lasts, what will come will go. In the meantime, we have work to do.
Anger is the easiest outlet for those who do not wish for tomorrow to occur, rage the expression of least effort. Some smug disdain the easiest for those who wish what will be to be. The first of these can be channeled into something better, the latter cannot, so I urge both to heed this reminder when I offer it:
We have work to do.
Yes, both of us, on both sides of a very divided aisle, both sides of a fractured country. We have stitches to sew, we have threads to pull tighter to bring that chasm closer together, to shrink the distance to a width that will allow our voices to carry far enough to be heard.
There will be two ways the Inauguration will be witnessed tomorrow, two different viewpoints of the very same event. The event will occur, but we will not watch the same things, we will not hear the same words—for some it will be the black and white world of Kansas before the tornado came and swept Dorothy away, for others it will be the technicolor wonderland of Oz once the house landed and the ruby slippers were snatched from those feet soon to shrivel. Two ways, one event, and this is the way of it.
To those who will sit and lean against their tired couch cushions tomorrow with sorrow in their souls, who will scoff and sigh with each word Trump speaks, I ask you for the empathy to look beyond the preconceived notions you may hold, not of the man who will be promising to take care of this country, but the people who voted him into this office. Not all are as you paint them, not all are hateful, spiteful, not all are racist. Not all are phobic about sexuality, nor enemies of the LGBTQ community. They are as we are, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, they are family, they are those we stand beside in grocery stores and sporting events, those who listen to the music we listen to, binge the shows in late night hours and say “just one more,” when they should shut the television off. They are we, we are they, and we are more alike than we are different at the source of it all.
Find the ways we are the same, find the things we share instead of the examples of our dissonance. This is the beginning of empathy, and it takes work to do this. The longer we try, the closer those gaps will begin to appear, the louder the voices of us both, standing on each side, the less we will be forced to shout.
Still though, be prepared to teach them, be prepared to be guardians of what is good, and feel no fear in this. Gently, I ask you, but firmly, remind them of what equality means, what it should mean though it hasn’t had the chance to do so all this time, in all this expansive land. Do not abide the unkindness of those who prove themselves more different than the same, who highlight the worst parts of the movement that keeps moving further and further right, who keeps isolating their race against all others, who keeps trying to prove superiority.
Do not sit and watch as those who wish to burn down what we have spent centuries building gather their hammers and torches, do not wait until the fires have begun. Be vigilant, be wise, but always above all, be kind.
For those who will watch tomorrow with a sense of pride, who will listen to Trump take the oath of office again and will believe in his promises, I ask you for the grace of compassion and understanding for those of us who do not believe in the veracity of his words. Open your mind and let in the light of those who do not agree, see things how we see them, with worry, with fear, with apprehension that is born from the experience of the years we have already spent with your choice of captain at the helm.
See things through the eyes of LGBTQ families who worry about their right to love, to be loved, to be married, to adopt children, to have their own biological children with the help of IVF treatments. Try your best to understand that there are millions of Americans, just like you, who are terrified of their access to health care, who worry of their ability to make decisions of their own bodies, their own lives. These fears are real fears, they are justified in every possible way, and they are phobias that were created by threats and promises already made, some already delivered.
You, too, must be vigilant, and I ask this of you. Hold your leaders, those you campaigned for and fought for, and some even rioted to uphold, to a higher standard than ever before. Make them keep the promises that they make to ALL of us, make them prove every single day that their viewpoints are not falling into white supremacy and domination. Make them prove it, make them distance themselves from the worst of their followers, those who choose violence and destruction over peace and unity. Force them, with the constant threat of the loss of your support, to be better than they were, better than the minimum. Force the best from them, and have the courage to admit when they go astray.
Remember, too, that there is a reason so many are distrustful. Do not look across at us and see only those furthest left. There is a Venn Diagram in these United States, and more of us fall inside that center circle than you’d ever realize, if only we stripped out all the extraneous bullshit that taints the messages those above us speak in.
We love, we hurt, we laugh, we cry, we try our very best to take care of those we call our own.
We have work to do, my friends, all of my friends who will be watching tomorrow together. All of us who will be feeling so many different emotions, who will be shedding tears—some of terror, some of elation—we are more alike than we are different, and this is the first bit of work we must do. Remembering this. Focusing on this.
Be brave, be open-minded, be compassionate, be kind. This is what I ask of you, this is where we begin to heal.
Hold tight, we will get through it together. If this is my office, this is my oath.
To you.
Only together
can we survive the nightfall.
Our light must shine now.
Tyler,
I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that in less than four years, you may wish to make edits to this post. The front and back end of the piece were sound advice (imho):
“Nothing stays the same, nothing lasts, what will come will go. In the meantime, we have work to do.”
“Be brave, be open-minded, be compassionate, be kind. This is what I ask of you, this is where we begin to heal.”
So, I don’t believe the effort here is wasted, as many need to hear the words of fortitude and empathy. But perhaps more strongly encouraged. We are never far historically from the impact of tyrants and criminals into our world. As I worked projects in dozens of developing countries over two decades around the world, I made close relationships with colleagues who had lived or were living under the rule of bad or misguided people. I saw their strong work ethic (fortitude) under such oppressive governments while they also exhibited compassion (empathy) in their own work and personal lives. Sometimes, their efforts to deal with non-business issues were far more challenging than the engineering ones I was sent to help them with. Yet, I could travel back home with the impression that I would never have to deal with similar situations here in our country. Now I believe it can happen here as well. Yet, it is a good thing that I experienced first hand of the power of good will and persistence. And I expect to have to exercise that life experience here to the greatest level possible in the coming years myself. Despite the history of the depths of evil possible by humans, it is also encouraging how much good can be done as well. I know it is possible because I have witnessed it elsewhere. I believe the coming years will demand more fortitude and empathy than we ever imagined. The counter-balance we will need comes only through the selfless actions we must be prepared to demonstrate. And I want to believe we will. Thanks for helping us prepare.
There is work to do
We must focus and take care
So much work to do
I'm always here for this my friend, and always so keen to hear your viewpoints on the matter. I cannot imagine all you've seen, and the lessons that's imparted. No matter what, nothing Does last, as we all are reduced back to the ash and dust and memory eventually. No matter how bad things get, I do believe that Trump will go, as he must die as we all must die, that the tide will once again shift, and that the goodwill and the strength of all of us who remain here that would staunchly refuse to accept any form of dictatorship that endures beyond his new tenure. Things will change, we just have to make sure we're pushing it in the right direction, that we're guiding it into something better, finally. As you said, SO much work to do. We begin now.
I pray that I can find some of your optimism.
I'm trying too. It's going to be work, and truthfully, I think this will be THE work that I think we all have to do. Perhaps the hardest bit of it. Buddhism has taught me that our "enemies" are our greatest teachers, because only they can truly test our patience, our capacity for empathy, and our understanding. Finding common ground with those that sing the same loud songs we do is easy, finding it with those who shout the opposite words is the real test, the real lesson. Trust that whatever hope I hold, I'll always give to you.
It’s hard to feel optimistic but I will still move forward with love and peace. I’m grateful to be in this space with so many humans who carry light. Thank you.
We're so lucky to have You here. Always.
I am an outside observer watching from the sidelines, but I think even so, we are all connected and will all be affected by the next four years. (No, you can't have Canada!)
However, the idea that we can find our common ground through empathy and sympathy, surpasses the borders of the USA and should be our common goal as human beings. Because there are atrocities that we know are happening around the world, but we feel disconnected and overwhelmed to do anything about it. Starting with our neighbours, we can grow our empathy and learn to work for the survival of our species in a peaceful coexistence. There will always be good and there will always be evil. Darkness and light. Love and fear. It will always be both. We can't have one without the other, but we can tip the scales to the side of light and love and shine the darkness into the corners so they exist as only a sliver of a shadow.
I know I have shared this link before, but I effen love empathy and this is one of my favourite books summed up in a 10 minute readers digest version of why it is so important that we focus on empathy before we are ruined by entropy. So I am sharing it again!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7AWnfFRc7g
Sending you all lots of love and hope and an open invitation to come hide in the jungle if shit really hits the fan!
I so agree with all this, even the fact that we're not going to buy/steal Canada ;) You're amazing, and we're absolutely gonna come to the jungle. Trust me.
A couple hours ago, I got into my little boat to go buy some school supplies for my high school kids in town and as I was watching this group of men fishing from their little boat, I looked down and noticed their majestic vessel was named the Liverpool FC and it had a red streak down the side and it made me think of you! We will have to find them and get them to give you a ride when you come!!
Wow, Heather ... love that link. LOVE it.
Thank you. __/I\__
It is a really good book!
I’d say “move down under” but I’m not sure our political system is much better. We’ll still happily have you though!
:) I wish, but the only way to stay in the fight for something better, is to be where the ring is. For now, though I wish I could vanish, I must stay. :)