How y’all doing?
I’m good, considering the chaotic cluster-phk that has culminated in this country. I’m working on a few things that are taking more time to cook than this microwave culture will allow. One piece is about being in the throes of internal colonialism. Although I have enough evidence in these 21 short days to proclaim that’s what’s happening, I need time to sit with the idea. Meanwhile, I thought I’d pop in and share a few ways I’ve been coping during these so-called “unprecedented times.”
NUMBER 1: STAYING INFORMED
I only read and listen to sources I trust. I read the New York Times. I follow NPR on Instagram. I read the Contrarian on Substack. Additionally, I follow congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, comedian/actress Amanda Seales, and journalist, Prem Thakker on Instagram. In my off-line life, I listen to the following people: my husband, because he is constantly watching different news sources; a good friend, because she lives in a border town and provides me with what is happening from lived experience; and my sister, because she interacts with a diverse set of people, who are affected by policies in real time.
There are times when willful ignorance served me well. Now is not one of those times, so I force myself to pay attention. Checking in in this way provides me with a solid amount of news, so that I am informed and not burying my head in the sand. In 2025, there is no time to bury one’s head in the sand.
NUMBER 2: STAYING UNDER STIMULATED
When I discuss the government’s shenanigans with my husband, I have one rule: we can talk about it for 15 minutes. That’s it.
I am a highly sensitive person. That means my threshold for stress and anxiety is lower than the average person’s. It does not serve me well to spend an hour watching undocumented immigrants and their children be deported. If I do, then I will be in tears and feel hopeless. There’s no space for hopelessness right now. The way my anxiety is set up, I can only entertain brief stories about the ghost neighborhoods of Chicago or the guy in Florida who was baffled when ICE took his undocumented Venezuelan wife; they were about to “celebrate their anniversary” and “she was about to get her citizenship.” Since he’s in Miami, he pleaded to speak with the president, who I guess he thought was accessible. I cannot spend time wondering why he thought that or if he voted for the president. I cannot go down a rabbit hole of the consequences of illegally freezing federal funds, global USAID layoffs, or confirmation hearings of known racists and rapists. So, yeah. I allot 15 minutes to rant, rave, use all the cuss words, and call people dumb. After that, we discuss other happenings, because life is moving forward and there are other happenings.
NUMBER 3: STAYING CONNECTED TO IN-PERSON COMMUNITY
Did I mention that I started a banned book club for teens in August 2024? We meet on the fourth Saturday of every month, and as the title suggests, we read and discuss books that were banned in Florida’s public schools. The teens choose the titles. So far, we’ve read The Hate U Give, which is about police brutality against Black people and All Boys Aren’t Blue, which is a young-adult memoir centered on a gay Black man’s experiences. This month, we’re reading FEED, which seems to be a dystopian young-adult novel about late-stage capitalism and government control. Imagine the timing of this last one.
Sometimes, one person shows up; sometimes, five do. I know it’s popular to think we should lead marches with millions of people, instead of beginning with ourselves and our communities. Maybe. Or maybe you can let someone else plan the next million-women’s march filled with pink, crocheted vagina hats. Maybe your work is to plant a community garden, or to start a knitting circle for community self-care, or to watch the activists’ kids, so others can plan. Marches are necessary, but I’m thinking now is the time to connect and to commune with others in ways you may not have before. Our self-preservation depends on it.
Let me know what you’ve been doing for self-care since the United States has inaugurated another president. We live in a global community, so whether you live in the States or not, whether you voted for the 47th president or not, your voice is important and I want to hear how you’ve been faring.
This was written 21 days post-inauguration.
