Waking up to a foggy world

and a wake up call for everyone

Morning fog at Cherokee park, a short walk from our house.

It’s been challenging to write anything worthwhile this week. People have - understandably - been expressing their thoughts on the American election results all over the internet. One of the best decisions I made last week was to not watch any of the election coverage on Tuesday night. Instead, I went to bed early and woke up the next morning not knowing anything. I slept surprisingly well despite some anxiety. 

The next-best decision after I had heard about the results was to go on an early morning walk. The fog on that beautiful and mild autumn morning was absolutely breathtaking, and taking these images made me so happy.

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Don’t get me wrong, I was upset, but I also was not too surprised. I really wasn’t. However, I was surprised that so many people thought that Trump would lose this election. Maybe that makes me a pessimist, but I truly didn’t understand why so many people were so confident that he would.

When Trump got elected the first time in 2016, I stayed up all night. I was in shock, in disbelief, I felt angry and disappointed and scared for the future. Everything felt dark and heavy, and that heaviness stuck with me for a long, long time. 

This time, I don’t feel it as intensely. I am not sure what that says about me, because I am quite aware that we could possibly be entering into an even darker time in the history of the United States and that, whatever the next four years might bring, could affect me and my family personally in various ways as well. And thinking about that is most definitely frightening. 

As a foreigner who has been living in the US for many years, it has been quite interesting to observe and attempt to understand the increasing polarity and division in this country - one group walking more and more towards the right, the other group taking big steps towards the left, and, it seems, that no one on either extreme is willing to take a couple of steps back towards the middle. Writing this makes me feel nervous, but I am not a fan of either extreme and it is hard for me to see how this country could ever become unified again if neither side is willing to turn towards the other. Maybe this is my idealism speaking. If I get any backlash for saying this, I think it would only prove my point that you can’t have an opinion without one of the extremes being outraged. And this is precisely one of the biggest problems in this political climate.  

The truth is, I probably should stay silent, since I am not as politically invested as other people here, but clearly this election is a wake up call for America. I am as upset as anyone else that somehow the narcissistic power-hungry sexists, racists, misogynists, rapists, criminals, and authoritarians reach the highest offices. But it has happened and will continue to happen all over the world. Money, greed, and an insatiable hunger for power fueled by fear somehow often wins in this world, and it is maddening. 

It is hard to believe that a majority of this country is happy, relieved and hopeful right now while the other side is depressed, upset and frightened.

I do believe that there will be hardship, and that millions will suffer greatly if certain policies are put in place and others will be overturned. And, what makes me even sadder is that whenever there is a big change, the hardships will mostly be experienced by those already marginalized and struggling. 

So, this is the question that remains. How do we respond to all of this?

This wake up call could mean a call towards greater compassion, to look out and care for those who suffer most.

This wake up call could be a call to listen, to truly listen.

This wake up call could be a call to love despite all the hate. 

This wake up call could be a call to let go of individualistic desires and instead work hard towards fostering community, even with - or especially with - those we don’t understand. 

This wake up call could be a call to bravery and to speak loudly against injustice and protect those who are most vulnerable. 

This wake up call could be a call to stay silent and go inward, reflect, and reevaluate.

This wake up call could be a call to peaceful resistance.

This wake up call could be a call to love your neighbor.

This wake up call could be a call to forgive. 

This wake up call could be a call to continue to work diligently and even harder to protect our most precious resources. 

This wake up call could be a call to turn towards the ones who we disagree with. 

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A few days after the 2016 election, I went to visit Standing Rock in North Dakota with some good friends. I wish I could go to Standing Rock right now, if the camp still existed. It was one of the best weekends of my life, and I am not exaggerating. Spending time at Standing Rock was extremely healing, and to learn from and serve the indigenous leaders was a privilege.

My friend and I were later asked to write about our experience, and I thought I would share the article with you:

Standing Rock, What It Taught Us

It was difficult to capture what we had experienced, but reading this will give you a glimpse and hopefully some hope, as it did back then during a time much like we are in right now.