Dear Diary,<\/p>\n
If you currently live in the United States of America, you are witnessing the destruction of more than most of us can truly comprehend before your very eyes.\u00a0 If we\u2019re being honest, these last ten years have been so destructive it is a reasonable discussion to have, pondering not when but if we will recover.\u00a0 The Post-War (WWII) Order enabled the USA to rise to global hegemony, in part due to the devastation the rest of the then \u2018developed\u2019 world experienced.\u00a0 So many of the USA\u2019s policy decisions since then have been about maintaining its hegemony.<\/p>\n
However, in recent times, what policy decisions have been made?\u00a0 Hurting foreign trade, breaking supply chains, angering and alienating long term allies, gutting federal funding for science and R&D, undermining and rolling back incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles, throwing out our immigrant talent, destroying our research base, diminishing our universities, racking up unsustainable debt to appease the capital class, and showing the world we have at least two tiers of a justice system \u2013 one for the rich that is toothless and one for the rest of us that leads to us having a quarter of the world\u2019s incarcerated.<\/p>\n
If only the policies stopped there, but let\u2019s not forget all the nakedly partisan decisions intended to inflict harm on citizens.\u00a0 From Trump specifically excluding COVID aid from Democrat-heavy areas to Trump sending ICE and Military personnel to Democrat-heavy areas, people\u2019s lives were irrevocably broken in both cases.\u00a0 States like South Carolina and Texas have moved to intentionally gerrymander their maps for partisan purposes to deny any chance of decent representation (*1), and some courts, the Supreme Court in particular, are showing they no longer even attempt to give the appearance of being apolitical.<\/p>\n
Those in power are trying to protect pedophiles, insult anyone who dares even ask a pertinent question about the crumbling situation they (those in power) have put us in, and generate little soundbites for the media talking heads to use in the increasingly isolated world we live in.\u00a0 I was just talking to someone yesterday, easily twenty years my senior, who had strong opinions on the world we live in, but had no idea we pay *significantly* more per-capita for worse healthcare and had no idea Kilmar Abrego Garcia was not only deported against the judge\u2019s orders, but he isn\u2019t the only one (*2).\u00a0 I can appreciate people\u2019s passions, but when you\u2019re factually incorrect and insistent, yearning to continue engaging proves challenging.<\/p>\n
This is where Compassion comes into play.\u00a0 Many of us have lost connections to any number of things in the recent past \u2013 family, friends, relationships, jobs, lifestyles, and more.\u00a0 Few of us can say we\u2019ve emerged from this period of rampant authoritarianism unscathed, and those who would say so would be met with skepticism from the rest of us.\u00a0 As such, the remaining connections are that much more valuable.\u00a0 Whether we\u2019ve established new ones having learned to be better within who and what we place value, or the existing connections strengthened by the tribulations of the time.\u00a0 We can take a moment to appreciate them in our individual ways.<\/p>\n
For me, I will do so quietly, looking forward to the time I get to spend with the few remaining people who mutually enjoy doing things together.\u00a0 I will enjoy those who\u2019ve realized they could do better and wish to learn.\u00a0 I will enjoy those who have not surrendered to hate or apathy and are determined to be a part of the solution, regardless of scale \u2013 as not all of us need to be national figures, and it is ok to help locally; all big things are made of small things.<\/p>\n
Attachments are the root of much suffering, and I like to describe attachment as being forced to change in relation to another change.\u00a0 However, we can be connected without being attached.\u00a0 I realize the two are synonyms, but I\u2019m making a distinction here for illustrative purposes.\u00a0 I can enjoy my connection with those I make happy memories with, without having to change when something happens to them automatically.\u00a0 That balance is Compassion in action \u2013 being able to enjoy the present with someone or something when the moment arrives, but also retaining my ability to make independent decisions should the situation change.\u00a0 The benefit of this skill is being able to care for someone or something in the event of an adverse change without being thrust into the negative yourself (at least to the same degree).<\/p>\n
I wish the person I spoke with yesterday well.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to think they meant well, even if isolating themselves from the facts \u2013 a problem all too common in today\u2019s compartmentalized media environment owned by a small handful of people profiting off the division.\u00a0 The unfortunate reality is many, especially younger folk, have no idea of what they don\u2019t know and are missing out on.\u00a0 I used to try to pop those isolation bubbles, so to speak. After being met with increasing hostility, I\u2019ve come to a better understanding of why monks lived in monasteries and sought to remove themselves from worldly affairs, for the most part.\u00a0 I meant well, wanting to help, but one cannot help those who do not wish to be helped.\u00a0 I am not going to try to chase an unwanted attachment and bend myself out of shape.\u00a0 I can offer a quiet prayer for improvement and move on, for that is within my control.<\/p>\n
Compassion in an Age of Destruction can look like an island.\u00a0 We leave our islands full of hope to engage in meaningful activities, but when our energy reserves run low, we return to our island and seek refuge within ourselves.\u00a0 I used to think I had to be in the trenches with everyone all the time, and if I took time for myself, I was leaving them.\u00a0 The truth of the matter, though, is if we try to bear burdens not ours to address, we are draining ourselves infinitely and in a harmful way.\u00a0 We can absolutely help someone who is bearing their burden in some way, but not take it on ourselves.\u00a0 For someone with a lot of awareness and an even bigger heart, it\u2019s a hard lesson to learn, but an essential one.<\/p>\n
Help where you can, take refuge with yourself when you\u2019re done.\u00a0 You are worth it.<\/p>\n
reBLUEvinate!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(*1) \u2013 I\u2019m aware some people are going to shout \u2018What about California?!\u2019 \u2013 First of all, Whataboutism is a large part of why we\u2019re in this mess. Secondly, it was a voter-approved ballot initiative, and thirdly, it was in response to other states with a known expiration date.\u00a0 It is a temporary response to a *hopefully* temporary problem.<\/p>\n
(*2) \u2013 This individual was staunchly anti-immigration and, while not stated openly, was clearly at least leaning towards a \u2018get them all out\u2019 approach \u2013 something that not only goes against the entire history of our country but would be devastating for our economy and society in the present and future tense.\u00a0 This individual kept saying \u2018come here legally,\u2019 which is fine, the viewpoint has many merits, but was also unaware ICE has been rounding up people *at the immigration courtrooms* themselves.\u00a0 Such an approach does not mesh well with \u2018go through the process.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Diary, If you currently live in the United States of America, you are witnessing the destruction of more than most of us can truly comprehend before your very eyes.\u00a0 If we\u2019re being honest, these last ten years have been so destructive it is a reasonable discussion to have, pondering not when but if we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[304,337],"tags":[334],"class_list":["post-29148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dear-diary","category-the-mindfulness-journey","tag-334"],"yoast_head":"\n