What Now?

It’s like waking up in the middle of a bad dream and realizing that it isn’t a dream.

It’s still like that.  The bad dream has not faded away, nor is it likely to any time soon.  So what now?

I have no interest in the conjectures, analyses, anguished screams that ‘the sky is falling’, or pollyanna-ish voices telling me that everything will be all right.  I’m only interested is seeing what is going to happen.

I expect the worst and hope I’m wrong.  I see no place to hide.  The three branches of government will be aligned to promote their agenda and thwart any opposition.  Promises that were made that tapped into widespread anger and discontent and yielded an electoral victory will not be kept.  So the anger and discontent will not disappear.

Watching the electoral maps on TV as the results came in and the blanks were filled in was surreal.  The urban enclaves in blue seemed insignificant as a tidal wave of red engulfed them.  It seemed inexorable – and it was.

A broader point of view is instructive, but it doesn’t help.  We’re just the latest example of a red tide that is sweeping the world.  Populism, dissatisfaction, nativism, authoritarian rulers – they’re everywhere.  Beyond Brexit we see examples all over Europe, and in Russia, China, India, the Philippines, and beyond.

So what now?  I think I’ll focus on what I care about most and can influence.  At the top of my list are those closest to me and being grateful for my well-being and good fortune.  Every day is a gift that I want to fully appreciate and enjoy.  All the rest is noise.