What To Do?

I’m working to be circumspect here. Not trying to inflame things.

Americans just solidly elected a person who says a lot of silly, not to mention crude, things, many of which are patently untrue. Look up the post WWI Dada Movement. It was a reaction seen in the arts in response to the horrors of that war. It was nonsensical, chaotic and ridiculous. That’s how I tend to think about our current times. When I see it as some kind of bizarre performance art, it makes more sense to me. The goofy dancing, the talk of dog eating Haitians stealing Fluffy to eat him for dinner, etc. There is (so much) more..

So what now? I talk to my friends (of ALL political stripes,) I don’t obsess over the breathless headlines, I try to help my patients at work. I’ll stay engaged and look for opportunities to help out. Leaving the country isn't practical given my current situation and there are no panaceas. (Though, for some, that is a perfectly reasonable choice to make.) I’ve been putting my phone away and distracting myself with some great fiction in the evening.

I (perhaps naively) hope the talk of “retribution” is more Dada-like froth and fulminating. We’ll soon know.

If you’ve been exposed to Stoicism, this is a good time to revisit that philosophical approach. Those early sages knew how to make the best of life during very difficult circumstances. Marcus Aurelius has a lot to teach us.

Remember how you were raised. Be polite and, whenever possible, kind. Look for the best in the people around you. Find compartments in your busy life where you’re able to flourish and be grateful for that.

We’ll probably get through this.