In Troubled Times: Facing the Problem Squarely

Back in 2016, I posted a series of blogs entitled In Troubled Times. 
Today it seems fitting to remind myself that I survived then and will survive now. These thoughts are from Monday, December 5, 2016.
A few days ago, John Scalzi wrotein his blog, Whatever, “…theTrump administration and its enablers are going to make a mad gallop out of thegate to do a whole bunch of awful things, to overwhelm you with sheervolume right at the outset.”
Pretty shocking statement, huh? That was my first reaction.My second was that Scalzi is very likely correct. All the signs are there…allthe signs that in my panic-stricken moments, I want to ignore so hard they goaway.
My next reaction was to surrender my mind to a gazillionchattering monkeys, each with her own idea of What Must Be Done Right Now. Ican work myself into a downright tizzy in no time this way. Not only that, Ican paralyze myself with too many alternatives and no way to prioritize them,jumbling actions I might take with those that are impossible or unsafe (crazy-making)for me.
Any of this sound familiar?
It’s all based on a false choice. I don’t have to either prepare now for the logicallyimpending “awful things” or playostrich on the river in Egypt. But in order to see other, saner alternatives, Imust first evict the Monkeys of Panic so I can regard the situation calmly.
We’re in for some hard times, and knowing that is a relief.
At first, it seems counter-intuitive to say thatacknowledging we are in for some dark times comes as a relief. The relief isbecause instead of nebulous fears running rampant, bursting into exaggerationand melodrama at every turn, vulnerable to any sort of fact-free hype, I’vestepped away from the emotional storm. I’m facing the problem squarely, as mytai chi teacher used to say. We’re in for some tough times, and likely therewill be a whole slew of bad news in the early months of 2017.
When I’m no longer trying to deny or distort the way thingsare (for example, Trump’s cabinet choices and what is known about them, or whathe has said he will or won’t do) I not only become calmer, but better able tosee things I might do, alone or in solidarity with like-minded folks.
This is based on a simple truth that in order to acteffectively, I need to be sane. I can’t be sane if I’m bouncing off the wallsat every headline on social media. I could, of course, disengage entirely fromsocial media and refuse to read or listen to any sort of news. But I don’t wantto do that. I want to stay engaged, but in a mindful way. I want to know what I’mup against. Once I stop fighting the reality of what that is, I free myself touse my energy and time in productive ways. I don’t know exactly what form thesetough times will take, but I don’t need to prepare for every twist and turn. Ican trust my ability to respond appropriately and creatively.