Election

A New Day Has Dawned

~ debsthoughts

Hold on for One More Day

Beautiful Sunrise

The sky was on fire this morning when I first looked out the window. A new day has dawned. It’s such a blessing to be able to roll over in bed and catch a glimpse of a beautiful sunrise. To see the incredible range of colors early this November day seems harmonious and calm, although I’m having trouble holding on to the feeling. But it is a new day and feelings, both good and bad, are fleeting. They don’t control me. And for that I am grateful. On Saturday, four days after the 2020 election, most networks ‘called’ the election for Biden/Harris. An hour before, one of my daughters reminded us of the Wilson Phillips song, Hold On (for one more day). So my daughters and I listened to the song from our respective homes and it was profound. We only had to wait one more hour for the news we’d hoped for.

The Stock Market is Happy Today

Colorful Clouds

I’d like to think the stock market skyrocketed this morning because of the spectacular sunrise, but I know better. It was more likely triggered by the news from Pfizer this morning that their Covid-19 vaccine is showing positive outcomes. There is also the chance the financial markets are pleased with the election results, but that could be wishful thinking on my part. I personally won’t rest completely until January 20th, 2021, at noon Eastern time. Until then I will continue to hold on for one more day and look for beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Of course, we can all rest assured that someone else will take credit for a great economy, even if it has nothing to do with him. (I prefer not to use his name. If you find that disrespectful, well, you are allowed to have your own fleeting feelings.)

Seventy-Two Days

Only seventy-two days remain until a new day will dawn for a new administration to start the truly difficult job of leading a very broken country in the middle of a pandemic.

Speaking of broken countries, last night we watched the movie, The Trial of the Chicago 7. For those who are old enough to recall the violence at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, these were some difficult times for our country. There was certainly a Dejavu aspect of watching this movie. What goes around comes around. Hold on for one more day. Because there’s nothing new under the sun. Although, 1968 offered plenty of turmoil, at least there wasn’t also a pandemic to deal with.

Speaking of Pandemics

Sunset

Covid-19 has taken its toll on far too many humans. In my region numbers are skyrocketing. While one close friend tested negative yesterday, another friend lost his father today. These are trying times indeed.

Hold on to that hope one more day. If you miss the sunrise, as I do on most days, watch for the sunset. Sometimes it’s worth stopping what you’re doing, forget the schedule, get outside and go see and simply stare at something astounding, like the sky changing colors.

For most of us a new day will dawn tomorrow. Let’s hold on for one more day if we are able. Let’s hold on to the best of the fleeting feelings, like joy and love. Allow the rest to fall away – which may require some conscious inhaling and exhaling. Breathe in, breathe out, repeat.

The Count Goes On (and on, and on)

~ debsthoughts

The Vote Counting Continues

Rika using body language to communicate.

My dog, Rika, is helping to count the votes. She just needs me to take off my sock – you know, because toe counting makes it easier. She is pretty clever and she did get me off the couch, but it was her intimidating stare, not the paw-pressure, that did it.

Look Up!

I still cannot tolerate listening to all the possible outcomes of this election. I kind of wish I could stick my head in the sand until the counting is over. However, this is no time to choose to be in denial, folks. This is really happening: Millions of manual handwritten mail in and early drop off votes must be manually counted. We can’t rush the process. We must be optimistic. Whatever that means to each of us, we must be that. For me it means remembering to look up, because even on the worst political days, this is beautiful.

Where We Are Right Now (it’s a nail-biter)

It’s a nail-biter alright. Or, if you prefer, it’s a frisbee-biter. If you’d like to see where we are right now, here is a map of current votes counted per state, as of about one hour ago, by NPR.

If this frisbee was sanitized I’d give it a go myself. It seems to pacify Rika when she’s overly excited. Her stare is unnerving though. I think one of us needs a sedative.

Reflections

One day, way off in the future of this country, all the votes will have been counted. Americans will have time to reflect on an election gone bad due to a global pandemic and a crime family that cheated its way into the White House.

This year has been horrible for far too many innocent people. Surprisingly, the blue wave did not occur. Too many in this country are willing to believe conspiracy theories being shouted and tweeted by the president himself. It’s disgusting to contemplate how many Americans are still eager to vote for a person who promises walls to protect them, but instead builds walls to protect himself from the people.

The pandemic has put a wrench in our politics because the current man-in-charge has intentionally politicized it and used it as a campaign message. Remember back in February when he called it a ‘Democratic hoax?’ “He has weaponized the word “hoax” throughout his presidency, using it to belittle and discredit former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference as well as his impeachment trial.” -NBC News Feb. 28, 2020

It’s Thursday and the count goes on, and on, and on. The count will soon be over and I am certain all of us, here and abroad, will gladly welcome calm, still waters where we can reflect on these intensely emotional times. But let’s not forget. Let’s continue to mourn lives lost during this pandemic. And let’s not forget the freedoms this administration has so desperately tried to rip away from us. Reflection is good. Awareness is good. In the meantime, keep counting those votes and remember to look up occasionally.

A Free and Fair Election

~ debsthoughts

A Free and Fair Election is what the American people deserve, however, will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine. But a free and fair election is what democracy is built on. So a free and fair election is what we are counting on today — election day, 2020.

Optimism

I woke up feeling optimistic; I admit, this is unusual for me lately. I’m going to listen to my gut today and rejoice over the possibility that the ugly, horrible, immoral humans occupying the People’s House will soon be somewhere/anywhere else. If they lose they will not lose with dignity, that’s for sure. There will be lies (obviously) and conspiracy theories from them and the far right extremists. I pray there will not be violence, but if there is, it will be the current president’s responsibility. And since he only knows how to pour gasoline on the fiery chaos that he alone creates, it won’t be pretty. But this is:

Peak Fall Colors

The Pandemic Politicized

Fall in Michigan has provided intense color and beauty. While natural disasters are occurring far and wide, including political strife around every turn, no one expected 2020 to bring a global pandemic as well. I had a horrible gut feeling way back on New Year’s Eve 2019 that 2020 would be very difficult from a political standpoint, not knowing a pandemic was on the horizon. However, the current president and his cronies have politicized the pandemic and are now pretending like it’s over, even though the numbers of cases and deaths are on the rise. The majority of us accept the fact that nothing the president says is likely to be true, but far too many of his loyal supporters do. That has been perhaps the most disheartening thing to witness during these trying times. Critical thinking skills are lacking in far too many people.

Of course, I admit I would cherish the thought that the pandemic is no big deal, that the worst is behind us, that a fully tested, proven safe, and peer-reviewed vaccine is coming soon. I’d also like to believe I’m still 30 years old and have my whole life ahead of me to take any career path I desire. But I choose to be a realist and not live in daily denial, even when it’s really hard.

Goodbye Leaves, is it a Sign?

Peak fall colors have become a memory. November 3rd is here and I think it’s a sign that the leaves are nearly gone. Perhaps a new leader will be overwhelmingly voted into power today. Imagine . . .

Fall leaves disappearing

Leaves, going going…gone.

A Country in Need of Healing

This country needs time for healing. There has been a lot of human suffering since this administration took control of the People’s House. Lots of emotional and physical suffering has occurred and will continue for a long while. If the polling is accurate at all, Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. If he, and his stellar choice of a VP candidate, win this historic campaign, they will have their work cut out for them. The damage done has been astronomical and will take years to clean up and make right again. Especially the racial divisions that have risen to the surface under 45’s racist team of ‘advisers.’

First Order of Business – Dealing with the Pandemic

The racial divide has brought out the worst of the worst in us, and that will be a difficult challenge for a new administration to take on. But the first challenge is saving American lives, which will not be easy by any means. It will require a national mandate that we know will not go over well with the covid-deniers in our midst. If only we’d had a national plan back in January, we could already be on the other side of the worst of it. Potentially hundreds of thousands of lives might have been saved.

Praying for a Peaceful Transition of Power

But these are empty words. All that matters today is #VOTE. I pray for a peaceful transition of power. I pray for red states, like Texas and Florida to turn blue as an historic sign that goodness will prevail in America. There will be evil in this world, however, it should not be leading our country. And it, like the leaves of Fall, will soon be . . . going, going, gone. I feel it in my gut.

Harmony at Our Fingertips

~ debsthoughts

If you’re like me you may be asking (or screaming to no one in particular), “What is happening?” The division, the spewing of hateful words back and forth, the widening tribal gap, the alternative reality that our president lives in, the openly outright lies and gas-lighting – it’s too much to take some days. But the ugliness that happened because of a man named Kavanaugh, that has sent many women (in particular) spiraling into a deep sadness and grief, or for many more, spurred an enraged feeling of knowing enough is enough. 

Thankfully harmony is at our fingertips. For some of us it is found in prayer, in meditation or on the yoga mat. Harmony opens up to us when we seek it. I needed this reminder this week. Continue reading →

A Supreme Matter

~ debsthoughts

The date was January 27, 2016. The presidential primaries were well under way to putting Donald Trump, self-made billionaire extraordinaire, in the White House. I posted this picture on Facebook and wrote the following on that date:

Most of you know I steer clear of political posts because I prefer to appear neutral and would rather not get into heated discussions on SM. But I fear we are headed in a most frightening direction. I have not ‘heard’ one person support the Donald, yet we are told they’re out there. I find it odd that those who support him are quietly doing so, as if even *they* know how absurd the man is. These quiet supporters somehow admire the man for his audacity. I can see it now, if he gets into the White House, there will be a Presidential Reality TV show called: You’re Fired! And hey, why not vote for the wacko — how refreshing it will be to have someone completely out of control IN control. <Sarcasm.

I captioned the image with: Rolling over in their graves. Continue reading →

Let’s Not Go Nuclear

~ debsthoughts

The right to bear arms will not help us avoid a nuclear attack on our own land. We are experiencing precisely what many of us feared when Mr. Trump was elected president –  watching him bully his way through a crisis he created, quite possibly with one finger on the nuclear codes – or is he bluffing? Does it matter?

He truly believes the way to negotiate anything, including world peace, is to be a tough negotiator, to bully, threaten, lie and then walk away hoping your opponent agrees to your terms. As we all know threatening nuclear war is not subject to negotiation, however our president does not. Continue reading →

Indivisible – Unable to be Divided or Separated

Author image
~ debsthoughts

Who are you and who am I? Several friends and a few relatives have abandoned me this year because of our political differences, or rather, because I’ve chosen to use my voice rather than pretend to be indifferent about the current political climate.

I’m not innocent in this, I too have abandoned a few on social media, but only after months of debates where I tried with all my might to be civil and logical during a time when civility seems to have flown out the window. Ahhh, the life of a logical liberal. But who am I really? And why are we so deeply divided that we cannot even remain Facebook friends?

I’m a realist. I believe in fighting for causes that matter. I believe in truth and justice for all and that it’s worth fighting for. Continue reading →

A Closer Look

~ debsthoughts ~ 2 Comments

Have you ever looked at a blueberry? I mean, really LOOKED at a blueberry up close before popping it in your mouth? I hadn’t either until I took this macro shot a few years ago. This close up view of a common fruit reminds me of a certain mega-businessman-turned-politician. After all, we don’t truly understand his motives or his actions, no matter how closely we examine them.

Almost everyone agrees it’s difficult to know for sure what Donald Trump’s thought processes are. What could he possibly be thinking (if he’s thinking at all) when he tweets threatening things about former presidents or warns the FBI Director that he better hope there are no tapes of conversations between them. These things are now considered permanent written records that can be used against him. Yet he continues.
Continue reading →

How Did This Happen?

~ debsthoughts ~ 4 Comments

I’ve been on a quest to understand the mind of a Trump voter for many months now. Some I’ve spoken to admit they felt forced to vote against Hillary Clinton. Others quickly became defensive while blaming the Obama administration for all their problems. Some admitted they wouldn’t/couldn’t vote at all. But few could explain in logical detail why they voted the way they did and I am deeply curious still. Continue reading →