As the headline in USA Today read: 10 days, 20 orders. Of course, today is day 12 (yes, I’m behind the times) but so far I’ve already been to a protest, written two letters to the editor and 20 to my representatives, and broken down at work in tears.

Obviously, this can’t go on.

In my circle there has been a lot of talk about an action plan. I’m going to share mine. I’m not going to publicize this post, but this will be a support document for me.

Ignore the Trump Personna

Mr. Trump and his team have lead a world-class, Machiavelli-worthy press scheme that keeps the media focused on the trivial. I’m not going to engage anymore.

Here are a few examples (from about days 3-4).

1. Apparently Mr. Trump plans to put gold curtains in the oval office.
   Now, my first thought is more of a groan. I mean, the man is tasteless.
   But here’s the thing. This really isn’t worth my attention. I’m gonna spend my time focusing on something else. After all, Presidents have a right to change their residence.
   Unfortunately.
2. The White House Press Secretary has been told to announce weird “facts” about the inauguration.
   Again, my first thought is, really?: I mean REALLY? Of all the things you have to worry about, this is it?
   But here’s the thing. This really isn’t worth my attention. I’m gonna spend my time focusing on something else.
3. There are various videos of the inauguration floating around that appear to show various relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Trump vs. Mr. and Mrs. Obama.
   My first thought is, well what did you expect? Mr. Trump had done nothing except show the world he’s… well, I can’t think of a G-rated term.
   But here’s the thing. This really isn’t worth my attention. I’m gonna spend my time focusing on something else.
   P.S. In the last couple of days I have been seeing some information about “proving” that Mrs. Trump is being abused and I’ve also seen a lot of comments about how it’s her fault for staying. This may be something I will confront. I don’t care about Mrs. Trump, but I do care about shaming.

Take it down to its roots

When something posts with an abuse, don’t engage it as a problem with Mr. Trump. Look at the reason it can happen and engage with that.

Here’s a few examples from the first few days.

1. Apparently Mr. Trump and his press minions often cut media sources off from press conferences. They appear to want to cherry pick media sources favorable to their positions and are using the threat of blackballing to get their way.
   This is a problem. And I could rail about how awful it is that Mr. Trump can do it.
   But here’s the thing. WHY can Mr. Trump do it? If it bothers me (and it does) I need to do some research about the rules, policies, and laws surrounding the White House Press Corps. Does something need to be fixed? What? I need to identify it and write to my respresentatives.
2. The Facebook memes are reporting that Mr. Trump is signing legislative to approve the Dakota Access Pipeline.
   This is a problem. And I could rail about how awful it is that Mr. Trump can do it.
   But here’s the thing. WHY can Mr. Trump do it? If it bothers me (and it does) I need to do some research about the rules, policies, and laws surrounding the White House Press Corps. Does something need to be fixed? What? I need to identify it and write to my respresentatives.

A Marathon (Not a Sprint)

Baring incident, we will have four years of this. 1448 days and counting. In addition, we can look forward to whatever the national election has in store for us starting (probably) in just a couple of years (if not sooner.)

Monday I had a break down (tears and three hours ranting (in my head) “YOU LITTLE F***ER”) that precipitated this letter to the editor and various representatives.

Today a colleague came up to me and told me that he had received a list-server email that the portion of the Geospatial Information and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that holds information about where unfair housing practices happen would not be updated or supported because there would be no more funding for it.

Housing–affordable, safe housing–is precious and increasingly scarce. To start taking apart a system that monitors where housing abuses are happening seems like the start of something much more sinister.

Why has this not been announced to the public? Why have we not been given information about how cutting this support will save “X” dollars that will go toward “Y”.

The Federal Government is NOT a privately held company. It’s a SYSTEM held by approximately 318.9 million people.

I want to KNOW, I want to be TOLD, what is being cut and why. The cost benefit ratio on this decision may be justifiable. but I’d like to fact check it and make my own decisions.

The sentiment is spot on, but I simply cannot allow myself to get this worked up each time something awful happens.

Processing

While I hate the term “process” (used in just about any context, but here used as in “give yourself time to process”) I do think I need to find a way to allow myself to process, voice, and ponder the current situation. I’m not sure what that looks like, but I’m going to put it on my agenda.

And I think NPR, except for Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me may be out for the duration. I just can’t handle it.

Volunteer

This action item needs a lot of work. But I think it’s important and needs to be a priority.

The funnier side

Among the more important things, I believe, will be to find the funnier side of this situation.

About day seven there was an Executive Order blocking various agencies, including the Park Service, from posting various facts about climate change. In response, a rogue group formed: “Alt National Park Service,” which has a Twitter and Facebook page, There posts have basically been about the parks, but they  have also put up a lot of humorous and spot on items, such as…

This is a community I can get behind!

Then tonight I saw that John Stewart went on The Daily Show with this skit (video below with final fake order below.)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/arts/jon-stewart-trump-colbert.html?_r=0

    I, Donald J. Trump, am exhausting. It has been 11 days, Stephen. 11 [expletive] days. Eleven. The presidency is supposed to age the president, not the public.

The reason that I, Donald J. Trump, am exhausting is that every instinct and fiber of my pathological self-regard calls me to abuse of power. I want — no, deserve — not just your respect but your adoration. Parades with the tanks and the synchronized dancing, and why can’t they train 10,000 doves to spell out “Trump” in the clouds? How hard can it be? They’re already flying.

I, Donald J. Trump, am exhausting because it is going to take relentless stamina, vigilance and every institutional check and balance this great country can muster to keep me, Donald J. Trump, from going full Palpatine, with the lightning coming out of the fingertips and “fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate.”

We have never faced this before. Purposeful, vindictive chaos. But perhaps therein lies the saving grace of my, Donald J. Trump’s, presidency.

No one action will be adequate. All actions will be necessary. And if we do not allow Donald Trump to exhaust our fight and somehow come through this presidency calamity-less and constitutionally partially intact, then I, Donald J. Trump, will have demonstrated the greatness of America. Just not the way I thought I was gonna.

A thought to keep in mind for the remaining 1448 days. And counting. Really counting.

I think I’m making an understatement when I say that this presidential election has been hard on Americans. No matter what “side” you are on, you didn’t remain unscathed.

I made it through the election without unfriending anyone, though I will admit to unfollowing a few and checking “hide” or “do not post” on even more.

But when the results came out I turned a corner.

I do not approve of politics

Before I really get started, let me make something clear. I do not approve of politics.I believe it is divisive by nature. And I think the two-party system of American politics is particularly divisive. I think most issues are more complicated than:

• Pro / con
• Republican / Democrat
• Black / white
• Red/ blue
• Rural / urban
• Conservative / liberal

So I usually try to stay out of political discussions and try to focus on details about the issues when I do discuss things.

I really don’t approve of the ugly side of humans

When the election results came out, I joined about half of the country in disappointment. And maybe a few other things. But I tried to take it all with a grain of salt. I’ve lived with Presidents I don’t like before, and I hope to live long enough that I’ll live through them again. There is more that I could say here, but I won’t. The important thing, I told myself, is to remember that local politics are more important than national ones. And I gave myself a talk about remembering to write to my representatives regularly.

Then the Facebook posts started to come. Nasty ones. About race, about gender, about beliefs, about equality, about economics, about just about any issue that you could name.

And it wasn’t just one “side” that was posting the memes and rants. It was like the civilized masks that some people had worn lifted for a moment and the real brutality of people’s natures came out.

I find myself searching for words or images to describe how really horrified I was. Am.

So, I started unfriending people. And I posted that I was doing that.

One round wasn’t enough

The first day about five “friends” bit the dust. Probably about twice that may pages were removed from my like list.

Two days later I went onto Facebook again. Another group of “friends” were removed and I was even more strict about un-liking pages. I posted about this round of edits as well.

And I noticed something; my friends list was shrinking without my input.

Just before the election, I remember looking at my page and noticing I had (if I am remembering right) 354 Facebook “friends.” Tonight I have 282.

It isn’t really a Dr. Seuss Quote

The obvious thing I’m keeping in mind is this quote:

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
― Bernard M. Baruch

Not broken up

It isn’t a shocker that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, or even that people don’t like me. Throughout elementary school there was a girl who loathed me; I couldn’t have cared less about her. Another girl, in an act of what I now recognize as bullying, made me sit through a group “therapy” session at the school counselor’s office because she thought I was “butting into” her group because I’d been friends with one of “her group’s” members for six years.

As an adult I’ve learned there are certain people and things that just aren’t going to work for me. And visa versa.

It’s why it’s so awesome that America is a free country.

The role of Facebook

America is a free country and Facebook is a completely new frontier. People are using it and other social media to do things that I haven’t even dreamed of and would probably be frightened by if I knew.

For me, Facebook is a leisure activity. The best time waster since television. There isn’t much more I enjoy than jumping on my feed an seeing a kitten video, funny meme, a friend’s children, or a fellow artist’s latest work. The horse watching opportunities are endless and it turns out the big wide world is a pretty awesome place.

To continue

Moving forward with my shorter list of friends and into a world with serious issues, no matter what “side” of the political aisle you are on (did I mention I don’t approve of that), I’ve been pondering what I can do to make the world a better place.

I don’t have an answer, but today I heard something that really hit me in my heart.

I’m sure most people have heard the following.

‘I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Matthew 25:36 (New Living Translation)

But today in church the following was read:

Shelter

I was hungry,
and you formed a humanities group to discuss my hunger.

I was imprisoned,
and you crept off to your chapel and prayed for my released.

I was naked,
and in your mind you debate the morality of my appearance.

I was sick,
and you knelt and thanked God for your health.

I was homeless,
and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.

I was lonely,
and you left me alone to pray for me.

You seem so holy, so close to God
But I am still very hungry – and lonely – and cold.

-Anonymous (Taken from Youth For Christ)

This really hit me in my heart, because I am guilty of this.

So my mission is clear. I need to role up my sleeves and help.

As odd as this is, I’ve been thinking a lot about this incident.

Either it’s the final straw before I have a psychotic breakdown, and therefore my team of psychiatrists should know about it before I am taking to the hospital, or it’s definitive proof that the civilization has ended.

1. Sunday I went to church. I got there a few minutes early. I put down my purse and keys on a pew and went to use the bathroom. There was hardly anyone in church.

This is a photo off the internet, not the actual church.

2. When I came out of the bathroom, I went back to the pew.
3. Someone had decided to sit in “my seat.” The church now looked about like this.
4. This issue of “my seat” has troubled me. It isn’t like I had an emotional attachment to that spot. I just chose it. Not exactly at random. I usually sit on that side of the church, about in the middle. But it isn’t like I had a Sheldon-like obsession with the spot. If someone had been sitting there when I arrived, I would have picked some other spot.
5. This person had taken my purse and keys and dumped them into the aisle. Again, I need to elaborate on my mental state. I thought this was rude. But the “culprit” was an older woman, not terribly well-dressed or put together… maybe even slightly sick looking. So, I thought, maybe she needs this spot in some emotional way that I do not. And maybe dumping my stuff in the aisle didn’t seem rude to her. Maybe it was the best she could do.
   Note: “Dumped” may be an exaggeration. This person probably “set” my purse and keys in the aisle.
6. I calmly picked up my purse and keys and chose another seat. The seat I chose was one pew up.
7. I sat down. I have a seat now. Life is good.
8. Seat stealer leans forward and says, “Excuse me, can you move over? I can’t see.”
9. I grab my purse and keys and march out of church.
   Note: This is 100% accurate.
10. Once outside, I sat on a bench and thought about what just transpired. I’m 90% convinced that:
    1. I’m dealing with someone who is unwell.
    2. Irritation is a rational response
    3. I’m in church and the point of church is to learn to love people, even irritating spot stealers who dump your purse in the aisle

11. I re-enter the church (calmly) and pick a completely different spot, well in back of spot stealer. I pick up the bulletin and read about what’s going on.
12. Spot stealer approaches me and says… well… something. Unfortunately, it was now loud enough with people talking and her voice wasn’t very loud that I had trouble hearing. I am pretty sure she asked for my name though, because she motioned to my name tag (which had flipped over.)
13. And here, folks, I did not behave well. I said, “Thanks, it’s fine.” And went back to reading my bulletin.

I need to work on Mark 12:31.