Dark

I live in the heart of California, and it's pretty dark around here today, sunshine not withstanding. The girls at the coffee shop took my coffee cup and filled it with little conversation. The tables were full, but still. No one would openly debate politics at the office -- it wouldn't be appropriate -- but there's an elephant in the room nonetheless.

I turned my phone off this morning. My feeds and text threads were either full and loud, or so silent they screamed in and of themselves.

Mostly, I think, people are scared. I'm scared. A man I consider not only unqualified, but also so immoral that I wouldn't permit him to cross the threshold of my house has just been elected to rule the nation in which dwells my child, my nieces, and my nephew. It's hard to look at that with an even-temper and a level-head. I'm trying, but it's hard. I'm scared about the implications for civil rights, and for climate change legislation, and for peace in the world.

This is my opinion, but I'm making the leap that you care about my opinion to some degree, since you showed up here and kept reading this far.

Everyone is blaming everyone else. My family is fighting. I'm heart-sick about the whole thing.

So now what?

Here's my take. Despair is nearly as useless as apathy, so let's be constructive, shall we? I think I would feel a lot better if I were doing something to make the world a better place.

So, first, I'm going to take the part of me that wants to hit things with a baseball bat off to the batting cages after work. Then I'm going to do some research and talk with some smart friends and figure out some ways I can get involved in making a positive impact on my world. The general areas of climate change and women's rights come screaming to mind.

What about you, my friends? Got any constructive ideas? I'm all ears.