The “big day” is tomorrow, hyped and hyped for months. Apparently $3billion (!) will have been spent in advertising alone, breaking the record for mid-term elections. As hard as it is for me to stay on the sidelines, I’ve been trying my best to “watch” this experience. How I am. How others are. How the media portrays x, y or z. For awhile I tuned out, not because of the sheer intensity, but because of the presence of divisive vitriolic comments for which I did not hear deeply thought through solutions that would get us to really address the identified problems.
We are in tough economic times. Economists are not predicting strong growth for the United States for years to come. A generation will likely not do better than their parents. China is our financier and a critical economic partner. Our manufacturing base is likely gone forever. Our population is diversifying like never before. Our K-12 educational world ranking is quite low among industrialized countries. Overall, the news is not good for Team USA. What is clear is that there is no easy-fix solutions. So what do we do? What are you doing?
The intense fear I sense in our country is understandable. People are suffering. In our fear and suffering, what do we choose to do? Do we fight and blame? Do we take flight and dig our heads in the sand? Dare we stand in the midst of this unknowable discomfort and see what it is that scares us to death? If we dare, what does the answer tell us about ourselves and our perspectives on life? What solutions can each of us personally advocate that helps us as a people and as a country?
Whether you are intensely rooting for or against a candidate or whether you’ve completely opted out of this electoral process, what do your feelings, thoughts say about you? Do they reflect what you believe are your core values? If yes, so what? If no, so what?
What does each of us do when there is no easy answer, when we can not go around it, but only through it? Will we stay as a united One or will we fragment into millions, minding within the dangerous illusion of our safe boundaries?
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