Garrett, thank you for this post, and its timing. I was low-key losing my shit just now.
I've gotten pretty good at buttoning up the "what if" videos that start playing sometimes (lots of times): when I'm tired, when somebody asks if I've seen the news today, when when my dear friend moves to Canada, when I get an email about attending a non-violence training to stand against a possible coup, etc.
I'm not a news-watcher, and I'll go straight to bed at the usual time on election night; I do every year. Those things help keep me sane, but they can't do it all: this is an unbalanced and not-totally-sane time. And it's sure knocked my own voting-working-personal-plot-tending self sideways.
I'm a slow learner (*quite* slow, but when I come clear, it sticks), so I'm still flailing around finding things Really Difficult and Not Knowing What to Do. So, both the empathy and the inspiration/encouragement you offer above are welcome and useful.
True, they're going into my compost pile for now (slow learner!), along with every other good thing I read and listen to and discuss. I'm old enough (finally; what a relief) to know that this stage is critical to getting good, finished compost later. WHEN LATER?! I shout at myself on days like this one I'm writing from. THE TIME IS NOW! But that's always going to be true. Today I pay attention and look out for opportunities to do just a little better.
Garrett, thank you for this post, and its timing. I was low-key losing my shit just now.
I've gotten pretty good at buttoning up the "what if" videos that start playing sometimes (lots of times): when I'm tired, when somebody asks if I've seen the news today, when when my dear friend moves to Canada, when I get an email about attending a non-violence training to stand against a possible coup, etc.
I'm not a news-watcher, and I'll go straight to bed at the usual time on election night; I do every year. Those things help keep me sane, but they can't do it all: this is an unbalanced and not-totally-sane time. And it's sure knocked my own voting-working-personal-plot-tending self sideways.
I'm a slow learner (*quite* slow, but when I come clear, it sticks), so I'm still flailing around finding things Really Difficult and Not Knowing What to Do. So, both the empathy and the inspiration/encouragement you offer above are welcome and useful.
True, they're going into my compost pile for now (slow learner!), along with every other good thing I read and listen to and discuss. I'm old enough (finally; what a relief) to know that this stage is critical to getting good, finished compost later. WHEN LATER?! I shout at myself on days like this one I'm writing from. THE TIME IS NOW! But that's always going to be true. Today I pay attention and look out for opportunities to do just a little better.