Unplugging From Politics

Well, the election did not go as I had hoped, and those of you who follow this post know why. If not, read the section about the President-Elect here.

A feeling of dread grew as Tuesday night progressed, so I stopped watching the election results and tried to get some sleep before the dread turned into despair. When I finally got out of bed after a fitful night of tossing, turning and catching bits of sleep here and there, my emotions were raw, and my anxiety was in the stratosphere. The despair I had wanted to avoid landed with a thud when the outcome was confirmed shortly after I awoke. 

After stewing all morning and into the early afternoon while trying to concentrate on work, I had an epiphany. Life is too short, and I can’t keep pissing into the wind like this. I can’t continue to be consumed by national politics like I was in 2016, 2020 and allowed myself to be these last few months. It isn’t worth living and dying by who occupies the oval office in the MAGA era.    

This is not sour grapes. While I believe the nation’s decision is extremely misguided, that the electorate completely missed the long-term implications of their decision, and that we are about to enter a particularly dangerous period in our nation’s history, that ship has sailed and there is nothing I can do about it. What I can do, however, is control how I adjust and adapt to what will follow over the next four, long years. 

I’m heading into my late sixties, have fought the good fight, and it is time to move on. I am not going to torture myself anymore by following the news and being inundated with stories about the Armageddon that is coming and the chaos that is sure to follow. So, I’m done. 

I’ll grieve for a while and get that out of my system, but to preserve my sanity I’ve decided to completely unplug from politics. No more CNN, no more MSNBC, no more 60 Minutes, no more discussing politics, no more of anything like that. No more deluge of political e-mails predicting the end of the world as we know it, as I literally spent close to fifteen minutes last night unsubscribing from all the stuff that was lingering in my mailbox. 

I’m not going to bang my head against the wall with the MAGA crowd because experience has proven there is no reasoning or give and take with them, so let them own what follows. Reap the Whirlwind, as they say. It’ s time for the younger generations to take responsibility for their own future because mine is comparatively limited and they have the most to lose.  I’ll make my voice heard at the ballot box.       

I’ll stay informed at a superficial level about what is going on nationally by occasionally glancing at the titles of the news feeds that keep populating my phone and tablets, and follow what is going on locally and within my state more closely. I’ll dip my toes into the national waters the night of the mid-term elections, and of course in 2028. But other than that, it is time to move on. I’m putting the blinders on and will concentrate on what is truly important: family, friends, my health, and getting some Zen back into my life.

Sports have always been my fallback as a means of escape, but I will also watch more movies, read more fiction, and maybe write more than I have over the past couple of years. New England, which is where I live, is one of the prettiest regions of our country, so take I’ll take time to enjoy the beauty of her woods, beaches, lakes and hills/mountains more often. I’ll focus on appreciating the peace and wonder of what we take for granted, like the brilliance of the stars on a clear, dark night, the sight of fireflies flashing their lights on and off in a field of tall grass on a warm summer evening or standing outside in the tranquility of a winter’s night, watching the snowflakes fall on my illuminated yard. I need to begin appreciating life’s simple pleasures more instead of lamenting about what I can’t control. I also need to spend more time pondering the next stage of my life: retirement. I had a date in mind but need to get a sense of what might (or might not) happen to Social Security and Medicare, and if it makes sense to keep the original plan or keep working until that picture comes more into focus.

This new mindset has already provided a sense of freedom and relief. My deepest hope is that when I finally come up for air in 2028, the country will still resemble the one that I know and love.