A Not Important Person's View on the Events of January 6, 2021

First, I want to offer my condolences to those who lost someone important to them yesterday in the coup that was the storming of the U.S. Capitol building.  As the story continues to be told over the next several weeks, I fear that these will be just the first of many deaths--especially if those who began this coup decide that it is important enough to continue it.  That's not counting the lives that could be lost because of the corona virus in another two weeks as people begin to experience the effects of their actions yesterday.  While I don't expect those protesters intended to start a coup, that is what happened.  That is the reality that we are left with.

Yesterday I went through a whirlwind of emotions, many of which I am still trying to grapple with.  Fearful, angry, sad, excited, disgusted, resigned, depressed...but the ones I am left with today are mostly sadness and anger--sad because I have many loved ones who feel that what happened yesterday was needed and justified.  And if this continues, I may find myself, like I expect many found themselves during our last civil war, fighting against my own family and friends over an ideal.  And angry because there is a man in the White House that calls himself the President who deluded millions of Americans into believing that this country in which we live is not, in fact, great, but rather a cesspool on the verge of becoming a third world country.  A president who not only condemns the main stream media and science, but anyone who is associated with them when they refuse to conform to his idea of the world.  And also angry at the people in power who abetted him in all of this.

And so, like our nation, I am divided and in pain.

There is a final anger in me--that the people who started this coup yesterday are likely unwilling to see this thing through to the end.  If they believe so whole-heartedly that this election was a fraud, if they believe that our democracy is truly a sham, then they should be out there protesting, storming the houses of government, and seeking to overthrow it.  But mostly, I think they just don't like that they lost, and they won't have the heart and the will to follow through with any of this.  Which just means that we'll be dealing with this for years to come.

I don't want there to be war, though.

I don't imagine any of us does--save those few who have never fought in one or sought to survive one.  But one charismatic leader (and those who are willing to prop him up) is all it takes--as history can attest.

So, here we are on the cusp of change, in a new year, and the world feels like its falling apart already.  I don't know how to reach the other side with words.  I feel like we've been trying for a really long time, and instead of listening, they've just got their fingers in their ears, chanting "La la la, I can't hear you!" as loud as they can at the world.  Or maybe there's nothing left inside of them besides anger.

But I feel like the propaganda wars are real.  I feel like people with more money than sense believe they know what's best for them, and thus the world, and don't care how many of us non-believers they kill along the way.  After all, it's only words, and words don't kill.  Sticks and stones and all that.  The best kind of propaganda ensures that you can't blame it for anything.

And so, ...once again, I am sad--sad to see how easily people can be manipulated.  Sad to see how easily a moment of protest can become a conflict etched forever into history--one that casts doubt on the strength and actual greatness of our country.  Sad that all I can do is hope that yesterday opened the eyes of those who sought to stop the processes of our government (I hesitate to say overthrow it as I don't believe they were really aiming to do that,)--that maybe they understand a little better what thoughtless action can lead to.  That maybe they realize how easily something truly great can be lost.

Sad that all I can do is hope that they don't really believe all the things they say they do, because if they really do....

If they really do, then this division will continue to grow until it tears us all apart.

Be Brave

 I really love the movie Brave.  I love the red-headed girl, Merida, and all the crazy hijinks she gets up to.  I love that she is young, vibrant, foolish, loving, and ...relatable.  After all, who hasn't sometimes wanted to wish someone into a corn patch somewhere?  Or ...wished your family would turn into bears?

While her wishes come true in a crazy sort of way, it had more to do with her fearlessness than her actual smarts.  And sometimes, I think being fearless is pretty amazing.  While Merida doesn't always go about it in the most sensible of ways, being brave is something I think we could all stand to embrace more of.

A lot of my life has been defined by my fears, and in many ways, it still is.  But each day, I struggle to try and do something just a little brave--a little fearless.  It isn't easy, and often I need time to recover and consider where I could have done better.  But being brave allows me to go a little further the next time until those fears creep back in and send me packing.  And that's okay.

Part of life is learning to combat the fears that haunt us, and not everyone will handle that struggle the same way.  Still, it's important that we try; it's important to be brave.

When you see something wrong, even if it's not happening to you, say something or do something to help the situation and make things better.  If you have the urge to talk to someone, go and do it!  Be the kind of change you want to see in others.  But most importantly, be brave by moving past your fear.  Even if it's one step, that's something to be proud of.

So put on your red hair, grab your bow, and let's do something that scares the hell out of us.

Let's be brave!

Be Adaptable

 The best way to deal with most situations is to adapt to them as they unfold.  It's easier said than done, sadly, but if we work at it, eventually we'll be able to do more--instead of stressing out about things that usually aren't in our control.

Each day pick just one thing that it's important for you to get done.  It can be as simple as "get out of bed" or something more ambitious like "get the laundry in the hamper done."  Whatever the task is, make it something you feel you'll be able to do, though.  For example, if you have two weeks worth of laundry in the hamper, don't be upset if you can't do it all in one go.  And if you can't get it all done, and it was one of your goals, consider what stopped you from being able to accomplish it.  And don't count it as a failure if you don't complete it; consider it a learning experience.

Part of being adaptable is figuring out what you can do and trying to understand when you're unable to meet your goals and expectations.  And don't settle for calling yourself lazy or incapable.  Maybe what you believed to be important really wasn't to you, and that's okay.  Figuring these things out will help us become more adaptable, and if there's something you really dislike doing (but is important to you to have done,) maybe there is someone else out there that is willing to help you get it done.  As always, asking for help is just as important to being adaptable as it is for learning how to find balance in your life.

Roll with the punches.  Don't sweat the little stuff.  Let your plans be detoured or derailed.  Some of the greatest adventures in life come when we least expect them.  So be open to them by embracing adaptability.

Hanson Duvall Puthuff (American, 1875–1972)
Many Paths, California Foothills Landscape

Reflection on the New Year

 As we move forward into this new year of 2021, it's important to reflect on its first three ideals:

Believe
Balance
Breathe

Find something you believe in, and work toward realizing it.  We often consider these resolutions or goals, but they are actually beliefs about who or what we want to be in the coming year.  Change takes time, however, and without believing in the things we want to change, there can be no actual progress toward them.  So don't stop believing.  (Hold on to that feeling!)

Learning to find a balance between doing and being--between the ups and the downs that life inevitably will hand us, is as important as believing in our hopes and dreams.  If we do so much that we become burnt out or overwhelmed, it can make it harder to start again when the time is right.  Knowing when to ask for help, when to take a step back, and when to keep pushing for that last little inch is a lifelong endeavor.  Balance is something we learn to do over time--trial and error--falling down and rising up again.  But each time we fall, let it be a lesson learned so that it takes a little longer and we go a little further until the next time everything gets out of balance.

And lastly...breathe.  As important as we might believe everything to be, if we don't take the time to notice where we are, it may be harder in the future to know where we've been.  Take a moment for yourself--take a moment to remember that breathing sustains this life we are living.  And be grateful for this one little thing that makes all the other great ones possible.

And so onward into the new year, bolstered by these reflections, let us boldly go!

Breathe

It is one of the most important and often the least recognized parts of living as a human being--breathing.

There is little wonder why many different kinds of exercises focus so much time and energy on breathing.  Anyone who's studied singing knows that breathing is essential to learning how to sing.  Women who are pregnant learn to focus on their breathing to help lessen the pain and stress of giving birth.  And meditations often stress focusing on breathing as a way to destress and relax.

If we are unable to breathe, we will die.

Sometimes breathing is about more than just taking air in and out of our bodies; sometimes it is about giving ourselves space to simply be ourselves.  Sometimes it's about the need for freedom.  "I Can't Breathe" has become a rallying cry against oppression and racism.  The wind is sometimes referred to as the breath of god or gods, and in poetry, it becomes the spirit of those who have departed this life returning to remind or comfort us.

And yet, very often, we forget how important it is.

Don't forget to take some time to reflect on your breaths--to realize the power within them.  Remind yourself of the fragility of life, and remember to be grateful for each breath you have taken and will take.

And when you are feeling stressed out or overwhelmed by all that life is throwing at you, take a moment to simply breathe--in and out.

In.

Out.

You can come back to everything else, but breathing is important.

Remember to Breathe: Painting by Olivia Jones

Remember to Breathe.

Balance

Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 Learning to balance is one of the many things we learn as children.  Some of us come by it naturally, and some of us still struggle with it now that we're older.  But balance is essential to growth.  Without the right balance, ...well, humans wouldn't be here right now, for one.

Today, try to remember those childhood lessons on balance.  Remember how often you fell, and how often you were likely encouraged to try again.

Mastery takes time and determination.  So when you're stuck, don't be afraid to fall and get back up again.  The place where you land will be different every time, and it might help you learn something important so that one day you'll be able to balance for a little longer.

Also, balance is about understanding what is important, and what isn't.  Often we can get distracted by our fears, or even our hopes and dreams.  It's okay to be afraid; it's a good thing to hope and to dream.  But don't let your goals drown in things undone and things untried.

And don't forget that sometimes it's important to seek out the help of others.  See-saws are built for people on either side, after all.  So ask for help when you need a hand up again, or need a little encouragement to keep you going.  Balanced with your own determination, you'll find something that works for you--eventually.

Believe

 Today is the first day of a new year.  It may feel the same as yesterday, but it is not.  Each day is a chance to begin again.

This first day of the new year, let us remember that it is our beliefs that make us who we are.

Happy New Year!

Dare to believe in your dreams.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe

Creator: Petra C Dorothy