When Bad People are in Power

I was a cable news junkie . . . until November 8th, 2016. MSNBC was my drug of choice and I watched constantly, listening to the pundits’ opinions and following the movement and philosophies of President Obama. He was intelligent, kind, scholarly and a favorite among anyone who wasn’t a racist or a rigid member of the religious right. I cared abut the world views and I was fascinated about how government worked and how I could be part of the change.

But when the outrageous happened and a mean, nasty, greedy, fat hypocrite was elected to the highest office in the land (some day I’ll tell you how I really feel), I imploded, as if I were going through the five stages of grief.

First it was Denial. How could this be? What were people thinking? Surely this was a huge mistake.

Secondly, I became Angry. Really angry. A charlatan who only cared about money and himself was trying to run my country as he turned around every good thing that Obama had painstakingly put in place.

Next, I began Bargaining. I told the powers that be that if they would turn this around, I would be a better and more responsible citizen.

When it became clear that the worst was here to stay and there was nothing we could about it, I fell into a Depression. When I read that psychiatrists at Johns Hopkins labeled him a malignant Narcissist, that was the living end.

Finally, I had to Accept the unacceptable. “Agent Orange” wasn’t going anywhere, so on November 9^th, the day after the election, I turned off the television, I walked away, and I ordered the Olympic channel.

I went though withdrawal. I was so accustomed to having the news on in the background. But in a short period of time, I didn’t miss the news at all. The pundits and reporters were obsessed with the PresiDunce, reporting his every tweet, attack, and insult. I checked in on the Internet to make sure the world was still there but I spent five minutes with the news instead of all day.

Slowly I noticed a huge difference in my demeanor. My mind lightened up. I smiled more. I felt creative and I watched the beauty of figure skating instead of rooting around in the political sewer right before I fell asleep. For me, it’s a delicate balance between being informed and being brain washed. Between caring about my country and wondering where else I could live. All I can say is, This too shall pass. The writer in me hates using clichés but sometimes they hit the nail on the head.

I urge you to ignore the mass hysteria and realize that even when bad people are in power or especially when they are in power, don’t give up. Take care of yourself, pray a lot, and find something to feel good about. For some, it’s watching the news. For others, it’s the Olympic channel to remember that we are powerful and we can make our own choices, no matter how bad it looks.

This too shall pass.