I’ve already mailed in my ballot, and I volunteered to be a poll worker (though they haven’t gotten in touch). With a week (maybe two) to go before we get the result, I feel caught in a limbo. It feels more important to me to be copying my important documents and organizing go-bags to be ready for a crisis than it does to do anything at work. I also recognize that that is probably a reaction to stress and anxiety and isn’t helping me. That said, I’m part of many groups that the right-wing hates and is openly threatening, so feeling unsafe doesn’t feel unreasonable either.
How are you all holding up out there? And tips for me to deal with this better?
You gotta get to the point where you worry about the things you can control, and let go of the things that you can’t.
This is the way.
This is actually a big message in the dharma of the Buddha.
I used to be much more into meditation and reading Buddhist literature. I reflect on that time in my life as being happier and more peaceful (I was also exercising a lot more then too). I’ve started going to a yoga class a few times a month, but I wish I had an easier time getting back into the rest of it.
But the fact that it’s not easy is a good thing. The hard thing to do is usually the right thing to do. Dealing with the negative hardship is a positive experience in the end, and avoiding the negative hardship is worse than the hardship itself.
And classical Stoicism. (Not the “don’t talk much” kind, but the roman philosopher kind.)
Letting go of things you can’t control like death also was a big tenet of the Jedi order, which I guess isn’t that surprising considering where Lucas was pulling sources from
If I could move stuff with my mind, I would convert to Jedism today.
Very true. And more easily said than done, unfortunately.
There would be far fewer anxiety disorders diagnosed if people did this.
A combination of this and avoiding political news and discussion altogether (as much as I can anyway).
What’s the point of reading, discussing and/or arguing when in the end the only thing that matters is your vote (and money/time if you’re able and so inclined).
The news tries to rile you up, and all I really need to know is who won once the election happens, until then I’m avoiding it.
there are more than a million less people alive in the United States today from a mismanaged federal global pandemic response because trump was in the big chair the last time, i’m sure the hundreds of millions effected by their loss, share your same karmic acceptance, that their lives were meaningless because they couldn’t control who was making (or purposefully not making) the decisions their fates depended upon. all very zen.
And what does me having ulcer from worrying about it do?
Alcohol, cannabis, and limiting my exposure to news/politics. It’s working wonders, TBH.
That actually sounds like you’re not doing well at all.
Honestly, other than voting and trying to get those around me to actually give a shit, I’m not. Like in the past two elections, I’m having trouble grasping the fact that half of the (voting) country wants to elect a fascist. My mother told me over the phone that one of her neighbors is voting for Trump because “his wife is absolutely gorgeous”. Like, how do you even respond to that, especially in any calm way?
Oh, and someone here reminded me: cannabis. Lots and lots of it.
Reminds me of some French women who voted for Macron because he married a woman 25 years older than him (formerly his highschool literature teacher).
If you vote for someone because you think their wife is hot I don’t think you should be allowed to vote.
Oh, and someone here reminded me: cannabis. Lots and lots of it.
I shudder to think about how poorly I’d be handling things if I didn’t have cannabis lol
I figured out who to vote for and mostly lost faith in the American people. I deeply understand that the system is broken but electing a fascist is not the way to fix it unless you want it completely broken. Honestly pretty depressed about the whole thing because prospects are grim and I have little hope for the future after the past 10 years.
I do think Harris will win, but the fact that it’s this close is disconcerting.
I’ve been writing postcards and letters to voters. It’s a little too late to jump on the postcard wagon but letters can be written until 10/29. It’s super easy, you’re provided templates, instructions and addresses, you just need paper, envelopes and stamps.
I wrote a ton of both and it did wonders to distract me and give me something of purpose to do at the same time.
I’m pretty sure text banking and phone banking is still going on too.
People outside of US have the right to worry about this election as well imo. It’s one of many currently on-going battles of autocracy vs democracy and this election will heavily shape the battlefield.
I wish all of the luck to my American friends and really that’s all non-americans can do so I’ll just grab a joint and catch up on the new season of What We Do In The Shadows until this blows over.
People outside of US have the right to worry about this election as well imo
this is just american exceptionalism, i don’t really care, nothing would really change, just more wars, rapes and destruction from the US empire
ah you’re from
.ml, feel free to ignore my comment entirely. Didn’t want to ruin your day with non-extremist world views sorry.
I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that a) my candidates of choice likely won’t win, and b) the results will be contested with complaints, nit-picking, tantrums, and probably violence across at least several states, and a final decision won’t be known for a few weeks.
I’m trying to avoid political topics and articles a bit not than usual. I also have a lot of things going on in my personal life (not necessarily bad things, but lots of responsibilities) that are keeping me busy right now.
I had also saved up a couple of TV shows that I’ve been wanting to watch to fill in some of the little free time I have right now.
Doomscrolling, exercise, and looking up firing ranges near me. Been a few decades since last I went
What exercise plan, if any, are you following? I let my fitness slip pretty hard during COVID, and haven’t had good luck getting back into the groove with anything I’ve tried so far
Honestly, me too and I don’t have much of a plan. I tried doing some pushups the other day and was shocked how much capacity I’ve lost. Following the wisdom that the hardest part of a run is lacing up your shoes, i’m just telling myself to do something every day. 3 sets of pushups. Squats during ad breaks. Walk to the store for a snack. That kind of thing A little bit of physical activity is a great distraction from the anxiety in my head
I don’t need to look up the closest firing range because it was recently all over the news when one of the members went up on a roof and tried to shoot this guy who was running for President.
Not the most recent would be shooter, the one before that.
Hell of a fall for the leaves, though.
That it is
I’ve already voted. I don’t have the ability to volunteer for anything, so I’m working on removing all the doomer posting and adding blocks on my feeds. No point in stressing about something I have no more ability to help with.
“Loosen your shoes
Don’t listen to news
That keeps you up at night.”- Chris Smither
You just get an upvote for Chris Smither. Leave the Light On, Time Stands Still, his cover of Visions of Johanna, plus a dozen others… all brilliant.
if trump steals the white house again i’ll be going to buy more security cameras and guns before they add an “acceptable voting history” requirement on those purchases
I’ve literally been registered as “independent” since his first win because I could see the bloodlust even then. I’d rather not have myself on a registered “enemies list”… :(
Not great… I’m not a US citizen yet so voting isn’t possible. Only thing I could do is vote with my feet… so I moved out of Texas for good earlier this year. I think my current location is as safe as it gets in regards to avoiding political violence (since I’m not exactly in a group that the right isn’t threatening) so there’s that
Other than that? Nothing… If the worst happens I’ll just hole-up in the building and ask my boss for permission to work from home
I feel you on voting with your feet. I left beet-red Indiana for a Democratic-leaning swing state a few years ago. And yet, once you get outside the city by just a few minutes, it’s Trump signs everywhere. Doesn’t feel very reassuring.
It’s cliche to talk about moving to Canada after a US election, but I have started to collect my passport and papers and look at multiple countries for ease of entry, in case shit hits the fan.
If you don’t have a valuable skill/trade or family to sponsor you, moving to another country is not typically an option for most people. Also probably the worst time to move to Canada as there is a growing anti immigrant sentiment.
Fortunately, I have advanced degrees and an internationally recognized professional certification, and my partner is a doctor. I don’t imagine emigrating would be easy by any stretch, but I think we’d have better odds than if we didn’t have those credentials.
Good point on Canada. I’ve also been looking at Panama or Costa Rica. Europe may be an option (I work in clean energy and remember Macron’s outreach to climate scientists after Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement), but may be harder.
I’m going to go drop off my ballot and sit back and wait for the results. There is nothing more I can do so there’s no sense in worrying about it. Focus on things you can actually change.
I’m playing a lot of pinball, but that really hasn’t changed.
I used to be worried about having to idle on a hill while driving a manual transmission vehicle. Like backsweat.
But I got used to it. Time and practice. You start to see all the subtle motions and patterns; you start to know what you didn’t know you didn’t know.
Now it is just a basic part of the driving experience. It’s a road condition, like weather. Voting, especially in federal elections and especially the general one every four years for president, is not the only or even the main course of politics.
Same story with parallel parking–which would be, I dunno: primary voting in this metaphor. Where the promise of a better way gets crammed between two other poorly parked cars and you always end up a few inches too far from the curb.
