By Butch Freedman
I realize that lately I’ve allowed myself to be caught in the spider web of horrible news from horrible people. And I’m not going to allow them to do that to me anymore, or at least I’m going to try a lot harder to keep out the darkness. They (I’d rather not even give them the honor of names) take up way too much space in my head, which I assume is part of the playbook. But I find in reacting to horrid people, I stand the chance of becoming horrid myself.
Of course, I won’t be able to ignore the assaults on humanity, the violations of decency that we see every day now on our devices. But I will not get drawn in to the everyday ugliness and pettiness of the oppressors. I don’t care about “Melania”, the movie, or Melania the person. She’s as awful as he is, so I cast them both out, along with the other liars and cheats and posers. But even saying that brings me back into the ugliness—the one I’m trying to cast out. Where’s my exorcist? My head is definitely spinning.
Instead of meanness of spirit, I am looking to embrace my, too often, hidden niceness. I want to use this troubled period to become a better person; to be kinder and more thoughtful. To stay connected to my friends, especially those in need of comfort. I already spend a lot of time outdoors, going for walks on the beach, or surfing the waves. Those activities clear my head, wipe away the fuzz and the dirt. I’ve never once had a thought about the political miasma while out in the ocean. And, that contented, happy endorphin-high usually lasts all day—as long as I avoid the news. And on those beach walks, I often run into a friend or neighbor and we stop for a chat—about nothing earth-shaking, the weather’s always a handy topic. “Hey, how ’bout those Seahawks?” works well right now. It’s small talk, and I’ve learned to appreciate small talk—this from an admitted introvert. Again, it’s about being pleasant, being friendly, laughing. Looking up rather than down.
“But Butch, you have to do your part, man. We’ve got to stand up, got to resist, put our conscience into practice. We have to work to win the mid-terms and stop ICE, and protect those who can’t protect themselves.” To which I respond, “Hell yes, we do. And every one of us needs to figure out how they can help, and ‘walk the walk’ not ‘talk the talk.'” So, yeah, Bev and I are doing what we can, with our voices and our funds and our alliances. But we’re not talking about the horrors all day long. That only wears a body down.
We’ll all live through this time. And someday, sooner rather than later, trump will be only a black page in a school textbook, remembered solely as the most corrupt and criminal president in our history, the one who was removed in shame. I do still embrace that vision, even on my worst days. But for now, I’m cutting back, way back, on the news headlines, on the talking heads, on the lies and garbage of the maga right. I want, instead to work on myself, to stay healthy in mind and body so that, corny as it sounds, I can be a nicer human being.