Tell us what you really think.
Some would say leave a good thing alone.
Some might even caution me to stop watching the train wreck.
But I can’t tear my eyes away.
Now, in the less than 24 hours that TikTok was ‘dark’, I got a lot accomplished. Not because TikTok was inaccessible but because I had a gallon of paint sitting in my laundry room for over a month, and it was time to tackle the eyesore of my guest bathroom.
While painting the walls a lovely shade of ‘It’s a Boy’ (my son’s choice, not mine), I had a few hours to reflect and do some soul-searching. With an open calendar of not doom scrolling for half a day, what did I want to do to fill the hours? I came up with a list of potential activities- gardening, obviously finishing the three books I am currently working on, take up painting again, maybe even reading some of the more controversial books on the market to see what all the fuss is about.
Shit, I even thought about maybe going to a yoga class. In person. I obviously had the time.
Then I thought about what today brings—the official end of the last nine months of social unrest. There is no going back. We have a new President and will have to look forward to our future instead of backward toward what has gone wrong. I am personally not too heartbroken about it.
Without TikTok, I wouldn’t have to listen to the insults about golf swings and mental agility tests. There would be no more outlandish claims that one side works solely for the American people while the other side is trying to dismantle the country from the ground up.
Then TikTok came back online. Surprise, surprise. Now, it was in the politicians’ best interest to ensure that the most significant worldwide app had access to cover the big day.
How else would anyone know that we had a new president?
In case you missed the news- today is inauguration day. President-elected Trump will take the reins of this country once again, and, like all presidents before him, he has vowed to ‘fix the mistakes’ of the last four years.
This claim blows my mind whenever I hear a president make it. Let me explain why.
Four years is only 1,460 days.
A total of 48 months.
Most people can’t even afford car loans for only 48 months. It takes most of us at least 72 months to pay off a $40,000 car (if we can find one at that price).
But this isn’t about President Trump, the state of the American financial institution, or the fact that most people would be hard-pressed to start a small business in four years- let alone turn a country around.
I want to talk about the videos I watched from other countries celebrating the fact that the U.S. was no longer on TikTok. Everything from our metrics system to our educational priorities to how we talk was open for discussion. It was like watching ‘Mean Girls- only this time, it was directed at a whole country.
I didn’t know that we were so hated.
I mean, honestly, I thought we were sitting at the cool kids’ table only to find out we were the school playground bullies.
Apparently, our neighbors to the north really don’t like us, which is strange because they are always coming over to borrow a gallon of milk or some gas. I see more Canadian cars on I-5 in the middle of the day heading to Costco or the outlet mall than I do Washingtonian.
England is obviously still holding a grudge over the Revolutionary War. Everything from apple pie to moonshine was open for analysis on how uncultured and petty we are. Personally, I think they are just mad that we shipped the tea back and kept the coffee for ourselves.
Australia is mad because we keep making fun of them over the Emu War, where they got their ass handed to them by a flock of flightless birds. All joking aside- I do feel bad for those farmers. Can you imagine waking up in the morning to see a flock of 6’3, 80-pound birds eating your livelihood? How do you chase them off?
The whole continent of Asia got together, and surprise, surprise, body shaming was their go-to. Now, let me not lie—we are a country of big-boned people who do door-dash more meals than try to cook at home. But in our defense, fruits and vegetables haven’t been affordable since World War II, and the message gets a little confusing when gyms are promoting Pizza Night.
But what hurt the most was the general assumption that we are all idiots.
I mean, why wouldn’t they think it? We were the country that started the social media trends that are cringe-worthy at best and downright dangerous in many cases.
The worst ones? The nutmeg challenge where people swallow a spoonful of nutmeg to get high. Of course, nutmeg naturally contains a compound called benzodioxole, which is proven to enhance the effectiveness of insecticides and has a hallucinogenic property. Totally safe!
Then there was the Benadryl challenge, where kids (and some adults) were taking more of the prescribed amounts of the allergy medication to enjoy a couple of hours of hallucinations. Now, granted, the challenge did leave more than a handful of teenagers hospitalized, and one death did occur, but according to the internet- it did make for some great 1-minute videos.
And can we forget the Tide Pod challenge? I don’t even know where to start with that four-month run. I mean, talk about taking the saying ‘I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap’ a little too far.
Just like the TikTok ban opened our eyes to our politicians’ backhanded dealings, I think the ban also opened our eyes to how the rest of the world views Americans.
And from where I am sitting- it’s not looking good for the home team.
Until next time, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.
If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. This spellbinding historical fantasy series takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?
The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):
Signed copies at:
https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/
The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):
The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)
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