Adulting or As You Were
11/6/2024
Many of the people I know are worried, afraid for the state
of the world, fearful for their rights or the rights of others. They expect war,
collapse, tyranny, ruin. I worry about these things too.
And they are afraid – as am I – because the victory seemed
so total. Coverage of the election served as a reminder that half, maybe even
most of the country has values that seem the opposite of what we’ve been raised
to believe we should laud.
Of the things to come, of the fears, and of how we can work
with and smile at our fellow Americans in the coming months and years much will
be written.
But what can you do, what can I to today? Tomorrow?
You can keep doing exactly what you already were, and what
you would have if the outcome had been different:
You can pour up a cup of coffee and focus on your work.
Create things of value, or at least strive to earn a lot of money. Control your
expenses as best you can while not turning away from the marrow of good things
that make life enjoyable. Invest as much and as wisely as you can. Through
earning, regulated thrift, saving, and holding on to wealth you can provide for
the people you love.
You can be kind, supportive, protective of those who need
kindness, support, or a shield. Offer quiet assistance when asked, offer humble
protection when it is needed. Continue to believe in the rights of the
individual against bullies and strive to shield the innocent from the brutal
machines of the state.
Try to model the behaviors and values you want to be more
common in the world. Approach others with curiosity, acceptance of difference,
and the kindness you would hope they would in turn direct towards any living being
they encountered. Teach the children in your lives to be honest, fair, just,
merciful and to never punch down. Live your life the best way you can, and hope
your example inspires more good behavior in the world.
Protect the Earth, nature, and our complex fragile
ecosystem. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Remember that your dollars are votes, and
that small actions taken by billions of people regularly can help our planet
sustain more and more pleasant life for far longer than if we simply give in to
the rapacious fires of industry. You cannot save them all, but you can save
this one.
And all this talk might seem a thin blanket of words against
a future that can be frightening and unknown, in which dark forces seem to have
gained the upper hand.
But this is always the world you’ve lived in. And these are
the ways you have behaved for decades, and the same things you would need to do
if things had gone differently.
This doesn’t change how you need to behave or what you need
to do. As you were.
