Group Therapy

Recently I requested your ideas for overcoming (or at least surviving) the previously unimaginable level of inhumanity, corruption, and greed bombarding us daily for the last four months. I’m hoping that the less-than-overwhelming response I received is a function of reserve, or busyness, or deep thought rather than of inertia brought on by overwhelm or despair. All, of course, are equally valid—it just pains me to think of our collective suffering. Today I’m going to share the responses I did receive in hopes of giving us all a boost. You never know when someone else’s words will resonate.

What word or phrase does the current climate evoke for you?

Savagery

Sadness

Chaos

Corruption

Disbelief

Hypocrisy

Cruelty

What word or phrase best describes what you’re feeling overall?

Disbelief

Extreme sadness

Anger

Disappointment

Determination

Shame

Grief

What are you doing to fight resignation?

Engaging positively with others

Listening to Pete Buttigieg on Substack

Reading only reliable news sources (BBC, Guardian, 1440)

Listening to NPR and making small donations to them

Searching for reliable sources like Democracy Docket

Making my dollars work to send a message (boycotting businesses that support the oligarchs and/or treat employees unfairly, increasing purchases from local businesses, Etsy, or big business that are known to be resisting)

Not watching anything news-related (only reading or listening)

Supporting non-violent disruptive actions

What are you doing to fight despair?

Looking for ways to make meaningful contributions in my community

Reading as much as possible about historical times when democracy was in peril, which gives hope

(Heather Cox Richardson is a must)

Keeping busy with projects and either travel planning or traveling.

Participating in demonstrations with groups like Indivisible (June 14th-NO KINGS)

Writing letters/emailing my local and state congress members

Seriously limiting news consumption

Avoiding political conversations

Creating (writing, meals, bad art)

Reading for pleasure

Connecting with loved ones and my community

Exercising with my friends or my husband

Painting

Trying to perform random acts of kindness

Planning travel, whether it will actually happen or not

Long walks with my dog

Dressing up a bit

Cooking clean meals

FaceTiming with my grown kids

Searching for and expressing gratitude for minor joys each day

Taking time to refresh and renew myself

Other

Additional thoughts people shared:

People in my life who’ve been impacted in some way: the aging friend who will lose her home as the market dives and her savings are lost, my children who will have to pay enormous student debt quickly rather than enter the housing market, a friend who is moving to Mexico because her child needs medical attention that is no longer available, the cancer patients (I’m in remission) who won’t survive without the funds for research.

The friend who lost a job opportunity because of a denied visa.

Thinking of all the women who will die because their body is not theirs.

The friend who lost a research job when it was cancelled.

Saddened by these decisions being made by soulless, privileged, high net worth people that continue to

hoard and protect their status and resources.

And one reader sent this:

***

Because it looks like the grownups aren’t coming any time soon, I think this is a good exercise to repeat periodically, so feel free to chime in at any time.

And, just yesterday I found a fabulous resource: Protect Democracy published a list of “29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect democracy”.

How You Can Protect Democracy

Check it out.

GOOD STUFF

-A solo visit to my local favorite for Tapas Tuesday, where I chatted up sweet Grace the bartender, enjoyed beautiful aerial shots of some of my favorite places in Spain, and ate like a queen.

-A weekend spent largely at my daughter’s apartment. In addition to great companionship, we did lots of organizing and interior design. Heaven.