Where do we go?

I had a good concept of a newsletter ready to go for this round of being grateful as fuck, but there’s been some hardcore fuckage for some, and a cause for celebration for others, so we might as well address the elephant in the room.

Let’s start with the celebration. This may cause my subscriber count to drop, but that’s just part of how things are now. Those that are celebrating are humans, no doubt. Homo Sapiens, capable of free will, empathy, understanding, and decision making. They are also out for themselves, as all humans are deep down inside. Those on the losing side are also out for themselves. The winners - they are riding the wave of “this may suck for me, but it’s gonna suck a lot more for others, so I might as well hang on for the ride.” Some think they are only going to win with no downside (which is beyond fucked up), and then there are those who feel hopeless. Angry at large segments of humanity. And dealing with the “hardcore fuckage.”

No matter where you stand on the events of the last week, I say “hardcore fuckage” because that’s how some people are taking it. Just like the joy experienced over the last week has nothing to do with me and belongs to those experiencing the jubilation, the feelings of despair and hopelessness are very real to the losing side. If you disagree, then your empathy goes only so far, full stop.

“But we shouldn’t lose friends over political differences!”

It used to be that way. It used to be a gentleman’s contest when the results were tabulated. One gracious winner, one supportive loser - all for the benefit of the country. But it’s now become a cultural maelstrom of who is on the side of “shut the fuck up” vs. the side of critical thinking and empathy. A veritable Jerry Springer episode where half the country is getting over the head with a chair.

The Rage is Palpable

The losing side is allowed to feel any emotion they are compelled to feel. That’s what being empathetic is all about. Just like coming up short in any contest, anytime you’ve seen the team who came up short and their reaction - it is their emotion and theirs alone. From sorrow to abject rage, they are allowed to feel it all. This is beyond saying to them that they need to get over it. We now have individuals walking among us on the verge of a breakdown. Now, more than EVER is the time to treat everyone well, because we don’t know what battle they are waging. And this means you also, people should treat YOU well too.

They Live!

In the John Carpenter movie “They Live”, the premise is that Rowdy Roddy Piper’s character can see who is an alien just by putting on a special pair of sunglasses. If only we had a pair like those glasses so we could see who is absolutely seething with rage. I know they are out there. And they are on the same part of the rock we occupy that is hurtling through space. They are a vital part of who we are, they are our family, they are our co-workers, and they are our fellow humans we examine pieces of broccoli with as they are near us, examining their own other produce. They attend the same events we do, they go to the same churches, and they go home to their families just the same as everyone else does every night.

If we as humans see another human being in need, we instinctually offer to help. We can see others in distress right in front of us. However, humans fail to realize that other humans in distress exist just beyond how far they can see, and it’s a shame. We all need to fucking understand that just because suffering is happening away from our field of vision, we should not quell our natural instincts to help. We must not listen to the talking heads that narrate the conflicts in foreign lands should they provide an opinion on it. No matter the cause, if a human is suffering, then we should fucking heed the instinct to help. Period. It is enshrined in our branches of service, and in our first responders. And how this ties into gratitude is that the outcome of this election is going to tell certain humans that it is okay to not help, and in some cases - to punish or turn a blind eye to our fellow human’s suffering. Those of us that hold fast to our instincts of helping others - we should feel gratitude for that, for the fact that we give a fuck. Who else is going to be the voice of the voiceless? We need to show that we are capable of such immense strength where we are strong enough to be gentle to each other. That’s the only way we’re ever going to survive this shit. And if you’re having a hard time with all of this, find a cause. Any cause. And start fucking helping. It’ll help get your mind off off this shit.

Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) said at his Hall of Fame induction speech “Hard work pays off. Dreams come true. Bad times don’t last, but bad guys do.” For those who don’t know, Razor Ramon was a professional wrestler who dealt with his share of addictions. Dubbed “The Bad Guy,” he was the first anti-hero of the World Wrestling Federation, a guy who was supposed to be a bad guy, but the crowd cheered for him because he actually did have qualities that redeemed him in spite of being aesthetically a bad guy. But bad times never last. If you’re having a hard time with this, I ask you to focus on what can trigger tears of joy for you, and use your rage to work positively towards whomever makes you cry tears of joy. That may be too hard for you anyway, and if it is, I understand. But understand that you are not alone, and that your peeps think you’re pretty cool. I haven’t done this yet, but if you need to talk one on one, reach out to me on here. I am here to help.