~Brené Brown
Hello, all. What can I say about this week? I was overly confident that people would walk away from a vindictive criminal but for a surprising number of people, bad behavior is a feature, not a bug. Other folks really believed all the "immigrants, immigrants!" nonsense and some believed, mindboggingly enough, that a person who keeps bankrupting his businesses and has no rational economic policy would do better with the economy.*
I have been thinking about what I can learn from Black Joy:
Black Joy is finding the positive nourishment within self and others that is a safe and healing place. It is a way of resting the body, mind, and spirit in response to the traumatic, devastating and life-altering racialized experiences that Black people continue to encounter. So, bring on the Joy.
Though some of us don't have racialized experiences, we must hold grief and joy at the same time. What choice do we have? One foot in front of the other.
This week's poem:
Whether the weather
Author Unknown
Whether the weather be fine
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold
Or whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not.
********************
Merely Day by Day has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Cathy!
Addendum from Waging NonViolence: 10 Things to Do If Trump Wins (Thanks, JoAnn!)
* A quote from Ruth Ben-Ghiat: "In keeping with the power of psychological conditioning through propaganda, millions voted for Republicans because they were led to believe that the economy was terrible, inflation was rampant, and America was going down the drain due to Democratic governance. In reality, as The Economist stated just a few weeks before the election, the American economy was 'bigger and better than ever' and 'the envy of the world.'”
Some people who were convinced by the disinformation will read those quotes from The Economist and say "What do they know?" despite their specialty being, in fact, economies.
Tabatha, your blog post is uplifting. It is so comforting to hear after- election thoughts. I was hopeful that people would take on a Kamala dignified viewpoint and find smiles to move on.
ReplyDeleteFeel like I'll be weathering awhile...Thank you for the reminder to seek joy!
ReplyDeleteI take comfort that there are many who came before, years ago & more recently, who weather the storms & keep us going, Tabatha. I don't think it will be easy but I'm ready! Thanks for this sweet direction you have brought! On a side note, we are prepping for "weathering" big snow today & tomorrow! Whew, from the sixties to the twenties feels like a response to the election!
ReplyDeleteA rough ride and challenging weather awaits us all -- but we'll carry on, support each other, and come through to the other side. We wouldn't be so devastated if we hadn't cared so much.
ReplyDeleteDid I comment? oof...
ReplyDelete2nd try: Reading the powerful piece at your link--this list of what to consider, how to react, how to think ahead, I'll just say it: I feel very proud of myself! I started Wednesday trusting myself--wobbly but not panicking, resolving that the best I can do is keep doing the things I am best at and trust that they will help. Until circumstances demand that I have to do more and different. Thanks, Tabatha.
ReplyDeleteYep. The reality is that the (horrible) decision has been made. But after a short stint of utter disbelief and despair, we just have to keep going, making whatever small differences we can. That's our work now. To not give up. To thrive despite...shudder...him and the more than half our country who voted for him.
ReplyDeleteYes to holding grief and joy at the same time. That is so true.
ReplyDeletePerfect poem for this week. I have shared the Whether the Weather all the time with students.
ReplyDeleteWhethering all whatever weathers out there, 🙌 yes💙 thanks for the resource blankets I’m layering them on, especially the 10 point read— I have an email started to you too—full week…❤️🩹🌎 xox
ReplyDeleteTabatha, thanks for joining this week’s roundup. I have found traveling blog to blog has brought much comfort. Thank you for your message.
ReplyDeleteI also have been obsessed lately with this type of word play. Whether we like it or not, we are here, but together we can weather the storms.