If you’re at all invested in the democratic process, the mid-term election cycle is a stressful season. Election Tuesday is an emotional roller coaster of victories and losses, hopes and disappointments. Wednesday morning after Election Tuesday is sort of like waking up with a hang over and having to move throughout your day facing the harsh glare of reality if things didn’t go your way.
Wednesday morning I watched friends make sense of the day before. Facebook must know that I wasn’t in the mood for gloating so it wisely hid the political posts that it knows I don’t align with. (Thank you for that small mercy Facebook. You made yourself useful for once)
Then I went about my day and attended a meeting at the organization I volunteer for. It wasn’t an exciting meeting, it was about changes to bylaws. Snooze. But when I left I realized that I felt lighter. There wasn’t any political talk at the meeting and we focused on the task at hand; making our organization stronger and more efficient.
Later in the day I saw that Harry’s school needed help the next morning with drop off. I decided that I could spare thirty minutes first thing in the morning.
I showed up with several other parent volunteers and we all worked together with a singular mission; to get the kids into school quickly and safely with a warm and welcoming attitude. I stayed a few minutes to watch the daily morning assembly. In just a few minutes all the students participated in the state pledge, the pledge of allegiance, celebrated teacher of the year, had a dance party followed by a moment of silence then were excused to their classrooms with the sound of peaceful music following them out of the gym.
Don’t talk to me about kids not knowing the pledge because all the students in this blue bubble called Norman can recite it.
Once we turn our focus away from the 24-hour news cycle and on to what really matters, the daily grind is not such a grind. The sun will continue to rise, our kids will continue to attend school, the morning commute will still get us to where we need to go. When our focus is on doing good in our community and world instead of being scared of it, it is a little easier to get up in the morning.
Politicians will continue to act a fool, cable news will continue to try to scare us into submission, Facebook will continue to gather our data. I don’t have control over those things but I do have control over how I use my time.
Today I choose love because love always wins.
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