Waking up on the morning of November 9, 2016 was a tremendous shock. I should have expected it really as at 4:45 a.m. I woke up with quite a pit in my stomach, night swears and a nagging voice in my head repeating over and over as a restlessly turned “President Trump.” My worst fear was confirmed. Is this what anxiety feels like?!
This very somber “hump day” news only added to the turmoil of a personal situation I’ve been dealing with for some time now- and not very well or patiently I may add. So this morning, there was little hope or faith to be found in my head or heart.
So, you have a primer for this blog and no, it’s not about the precarious political state we find ourselves in. But the analogy of the election, pre-election debacle and result of the vote is too fitting to my personal life; the results of the election have quickly taught me and should teach you why the decision for Trump, as much as I DON’T like him, maybe be exactly the same decision we should make in our lives; action over fear and limbo.
If you think about it, Election Day, is a great thing. With your vote, you are electing to choose an individual who you think will contribute to the health and prosperity of the Country. The Country has wants and needs and you think person X can meet them, or at least show what you don’t want and need for the next leader if person X proves to not meet your standards. Election days come once a year and if you choose to vote, you make a decision. Whether it’s a good one or a bad one may be uncertain for the foreseeable future, but the guarantee of a decision is certain.
Back to politics for a paragraph or two. Our choices were HRC and DT. It was like choosing to swallow a centipede or a cockroach. Yuck to both of them! The 180 day lead-up to the Election was like immersion in a pool of insects. Never again I hope! But there had to be a decision come November 8th. I choose to swallow to centipede, but the cockroach won. Why? It is my non-expert humble opinion that Americans wanted a change. They were frustrated, feed-up and disheartened by the words of HRC. The words reminded them of the actions never taken, or the actions that were taken, in the past that did not meet the needs and wants of the people. Her words for the future were not believable because of the actions/inactions she chose in the past. Americans felt like we were in this unforgiving limbo where words were empty and actions were missing or contrary the words said for the intention of belief in them. “Enough is Enough” one wise person said to me to justify his vote for the cockroach.
So let’s talk about DT. Where should I begin, right? @*&*&$#@*&%#@!. Well, ok, since I have a lesson here, I’ll be nice. He came into this Election with no class or integrity. However, more importantly to the people of this country, he came with no political experience and no political baggage or corruption. Therefore, there is no “status quo” or past political BS to judge him upon. He is a clean political slate. Now, disclaimer here… there are PLENTY of other things to judge him upon that DON’T make him look favorable. Many of his words were terrifying, worrisome, tactless (do I need to go on?!), and put the fear of Jesus into people. However, those words mean nothing without actions. And yes, he will need to prove himself as leader of this country and use his actions to show us why it was a good decision to hire him. However, human nature dictates that we judge present words of people on past actions as that is the only comparison we have. So if there are no past actions, we have to take the person at his/her word until we do have future actions to measure the words by. As an aside, DT better pick his future actions carefully, as they will eventually become past actions and he will be judged on past actions which if negative, will make future words void of real substance until future actions prove otherwise.
America was in a very tough limbo for 180 days and supporters of DT would argue MUCH longer (as in at 8 years). The centipede or the cockroach? Well Neither you say. The comfortable thing to do in the state of limbo for most people is not to make a decision as decisions are temporarily final, can be ridden by fear, may not yield the desired outcome, and often force you out your comfort zone. This is another blog- but LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. And if it were not for November 8th, many people would have chosen to remain in limbo and been content with turning off the TV except to watch Alec Baldwin play DT on SNL. (really funny!) or reality shows that are more ridiculous than any real life political dramas. Do you realize that even hours before the close of the polls, many voters were still undecided?! Limbo at its best.
When it did come time for a forced decision, people choose to take a leap of faith on a very VERY uncertain person. And why? Because “Enough was Enough” for them and voting for HRC meant accepting unacceptable past actions not meeting their needs or wants. and remaining in a limbo without a chance of a “pot of gold”. And her words came across empty judging on past actions of her and past politicians. There was no waiting for a better candidate to step into the race… trust me, I would have!!! So, I think people were not voting for DT and all his “great” qualities,; they were voting against more limbo, past actions, empty words. Even Democrats were tired of their desperate pushing to make HC meet their needs and wants. The fear of the unknown is less scary than the fear of letting the limbo remind us of all the past actions and words that got us here.
The election decision teaches me and us about fear and the potential consequences of letting that fear keep you in a state of limbo. America was so sick of playing limbo and we were all angry, resentful, frustrated and sometimes mean. Election Day forced a decision and forced us to recognize the fear but be courageous enough to decide anyway. Good decision or bad decision, it was a decision. And decisions can always be changed. The government was smart enough to force us to consider national change every 4 years, so we can’t linger in limbo too long.
A decision as uncertain and precautious as it may be lifts a weight off your shoulders and gives you confidence that you voted in your life! Everyone should have “Election Days” scheduled in their lives given any set of circumstances. I have been in limbo for months now. I have my eye on a candidate. He uses very favorable words, yet his past actions are often contrary to those words. As a voter, I have been clear about my wants and needs. And he is a “good” politician as he uses words to his advantage, keeps promises out of his speeches, often contradicts himself but selectively forgets, gives vague answers to very pointed questions, and gives me glimpses of what I want and need without any foundations for the future. Our debates are sometimes vicious and he looks at me like Alec Baldwin on SNL and says “Wrong” while turning the attention from the real issues, sweeping them under the rug, and focus on ancillary unimportant mohills.
Enough is Enough. My fear of the unknown is less scary than the fear of letting the limbo remain and constantly remind me of all the past actions and words and without hope for the future. I have scheduled my Election Day and will make a decision. Will it be a good one? Will it be a bad one? That is uncertain but it is a decision. The fear of the uncertainty does not compare to the weight of the certainty of limbo ensuring a lack of progress, future success and happiness. I am proud of the Country for deciding to take a leap of faith. Words are very different than actions and I am hoping DT shows us through his actions that he is the right leader. Am I fearful? HELL YELL. I further hope than on my Election day, my favored candidate gets my vote. Again, Am I fearful? HELL YELL. However, I will have limbo no more.
Don’t live your life in limbo or in fear. Election Days will remind you that life is about progress, change, goals, peace and growth. Election Days force us out of limbo and to confront fear for our own good and prosperity. As a voter, don’t settle for mediocre. “Great” requires actions and the words to match. Don’t settle for less because you are comfortable and fear that actions and words will never match. With the right candidate, they will and you have to stop fearing things that will probably never happen! Without a decision, you will never bear the fruits of experiencing the success realized when actions and words match.
When is your Election Day?
Be Happy,
-Lucy
Lucy Litigator's Lessons Learned- Living, Loving, Losing and Litigating 