Make something. Make something where there was nothing before. Make art. Make beautiful art, ugly art, angry art! Cook a meal. Write a poem. Photograph nature. Make a joyful noise! Creation is a diversion and an act of defiance. It is an expression of your best self.
I wake up and make art every day. Sometimes it’s just 15 minutes.It’s my meditation and it keeps me grounded. It gives me the joy I need in life to balance all the shit that’s raining down right now. Making art gives me a sense of control in this chaos. Here’s this thing I made that never existed before. I made this. It’s an expression of my free will.
As Martha Beck, the sociologist says....don't ask what can I do....rather what can I make...it is time to use our creativity and imagination. I am making political love letters to Congress people and others who show courage, smarts AND action to save our beloved country and her democracy
John, A next column might include the Trump 2025 Trail of Tears Proposal, where he advocates getting rid of the Palestinians by force. Here is the last time that happened:
The Trail of Tears was the forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850, and the additional thousands of Native Americans and their enslaved African Americans[3] within that were ethnically cleansed by the United States government.[4]
As part of Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States to newly designated Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River after the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830.[5][4][6] The Cherokee removal in 1838 was the last forced removal east of the Mississippi and was brought on by the discovery of gold near Dahlonega, Georgia, in 1828, resulting in the Georgia Gold Rush.[7] The relocated peoples suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation while en route to their newly designated Indian reserve. Thousands died from disease before reaching their destinations or shortly after.[8][9][10] A variety of scholars have classified the Trail of Tears as an example of the genocide of Native Americans;[11][b] others categorize it as ethnic cleansing.
I felt, as I was reading this, that I heard a very wise man helping me to keep my head above water. I can’t and won’t have the TV on for fear I’ll have to hear his voice, it’s my way of dealing, thus reading your columns and others in the same boat, helps me cope. Thank you for this.
I agree. I don’t watch news or videos or clips or listen to his voice or even look at his pictures of his face. I haven’t in almost 10 years. He is a rapist, a pedophile (his daughter), a liar and cheat and con, a cruel and evil person who makes fun of women, POC, vulnerable populations with zero empathy. This is evil. And when I hear or see the evil oozing from him, it makes me physically ill. I couldn’t even watch him on The Apprentice years and years ago because something didn’t feel right to me.
My go-to for reinforcing my personhood and humanity: dancing. Dancing hard. Dancing in the form of teaching the ballet classes I am teaching and pushing my students hard enough so that by the end of class they are smiling and endorphin-elevated. Dancing in the form of taking ballet classes when I have the chance (I shoot for 2 a week). But also putting on music and dancing around my living room to the bemusement of my 67-lb poodle. Dance, as Jules Feiffer used to illustrate, as if no one is watching and you have everything to live for. It is at best a temporary solution but it does help.
I have always loved dancing to music in the kitchen while preparing food. Celebrating life 😌 Always lifts my spirits. Today I think I’ll make brownies. 🌻
I have placed many calls to Congress, am spending more time with Mom and grandchildren. and CBD for the pains. Meditation, hot bathds, good food with a glass of wine. 😊🙏❤️
I thought when DT was elected that he was on a journey of getting even and I had to be prepared. What I hadn't counted on was Elon and his raids of our government depts. That led me to get angry and rather than just be that I started calling Senators, Congress Reps and writing. I let my anger spill to them and told them DO YOUR JOB. Well not that blunt but that was the idea. I felt better and others I noted were doing the same. Results were good. So I took a deep breath and said when everyone stands together WE HAVE A VOICE. So I can do what I want now and breathe a sigh. Yes I am back to carrying my passport on me just in case ICE drops by. I did that the first time Trump was in and am back to it again.
Thank you for this. I realize I have been acting accordingly, particularly in the past few days. I’m working on finding small opportunities for resistance- be it making a data breach complaint to my state AG, or pointing out the bs online, or laughing and mocking a MAGA supporter who is just plain stupid. Sleep is coming a bit easier but I still toss and turn - I just don’t want to sleepwalk through the day to get by. But the worm will turn I’m sure of it.
I'm so glad you're feeling better! And your advice for managing the ways this 'shit show' is affecting. us right now is appreciated. I made the biggest carrot cake ever yesterday and managed to actually eat a small piece, though I felt sickened by the news all day. And i signed up for a postcard writing project via the social justice group at my church. This morning when I woke up feeling a sense of dread and tension around my diaphragm I called up Krishna's teaching from the Bhagavad Gita when the hero Prince Arjuna is heartbroken that his friends and relatives have started a war against him. In essence, this was, 'Sometimes you just have to gird up your loins and take care of business.' Also Jesus calling a spade a spade when he described the sellout religious establishment of his day a bunch of 'whited sepulchers'--in olther words, rotten men in nice suits. And now we must face this day. Let's face it together in the knowledge of the truth,
#3 is an important one. Many people don't realize how trauma is embedded into our bodies not just our brains and emotions. I like to scream if I'm in my car alone or stomp my feet , knead bread rigorously, you get the idea. The other day a Time magazine had Trump on the front of it. I saw it on the floor as I was going to bed. I started stomping and jumping on it yelling that I hated him. My husband thought I had snapped and then laughed and said it was a good thing. I slept like a baby that night. 😌
I am reading a book by Bessel Van Der Kola entitled "The Body Keeps Score." The book deals with embedded trauma in our bodies and the havoc it wreaks unattended. It is fascinating and helpful; I recommend it.
A dear friend gave me that book a few months ago, but I thought it was only meant for physical trauma. Thank you for the nudge. I´ll have to pick it up again, and read more than the forward.
Thank you for your post. I usually write over the felon's face and make it uglier than it already is. Then I "talk" to the narcissist as I rip the paper up with glee!
I smile. It felt good to rip the misogynist to pieces.
Many good points, John, but don't forget to add (number 9?) the importance of connecting with other who share your concerns-some of whom might even be technically on the "other side" in order to fight all this as best we can and not submit to tyranny and cruelty.
All this is implied in what you have said, but it deserves its own number in your list! Thanks.
I agree. I'm lucky that I work in an office where everyone has the same political beliefs and we sat around the lunch table yesterday and laughed about the horror and the memes and shared our worries about what's going on. It feels so good to have like-minded good people to share the situation with.
I told my husband just last night “if it weren’t so horrible it would actually be hilarious”. And then I think hysteria took over for a bit. We started laughing SO hard. And speaking quips from shows and movies “pets heads are falling off!”, “serenity now- insanity later!”, “you shot the invisible horseman!! It’s like livin’ with a 6 year old!”. Laughed til we cried. Comedic relief. 🤣🤣😳
Donate if you can. With our government being commandeered by Elon Musk, aid to people who need it is going away, and people are going to die because of that. If you can help someone, do it, because we can no longer count on our taxpayer dollars doing any good. It might help a little and it might make you feel better, too. Write to congress, and do it often. Write for yourself—it’s constructive and cathartic and creative.
Thank you, John. I took your list to heart. I burst into tears while reading, and had that cry that I had been holding inside - for fear that if I started crying, I would not be able to stop. Of course, you were right. It was wracking, cathartic, and surprising brief. And I feel energized and my focus is sharper. Take care, my friend. - Joy
Thank you for your words, John. I think I would go crazy if I didn't have wise and supportive people like you on Substack. I have lost a sister because I will not associate with anyone who supports the hatred, racism, and corruption in this country. Both of my children are supporters of the sociopathic felon and during Covid I had to move in with my son which causes me much stress and grief. I struggled as a single mom. I was the first in my family to go to college and I worked over 40 years as an RN to support my children. They both have Masters Degrees and yet, they are brainwashed into the cult of lies. I have been a Warrior Woman my entire life so I know how to stand up for myself and others. I just never thought that at 77 I would have to move and start my life over again.
Oh boy do I relate. My kids are in their mid forties and I have a terrible time dealing with the fact they both drank the koolaid. I wonder where in the world I went wrong. Sometimes it feels like I’m living in the Twilight Zone. And I have to fight off beating myself up. That doesn’t help anybody. We help each other to refocus on how thrilled we were to have children and how much we enjoyed and loved them. Happy memories. We see less and less of the more religious child and family- our brand of spirituality is dangerous in their minds. Circumstances are such that our other child has to be around a lot so we have to endure the smirking and snide remarks. I’ve decided that each time this happens I’m going to respond by gently saying their name and telling them I love them like I used to do when they were little. Perhaps the loving connection we once had will call to their heart and mind. It’s not over til it’s over. 🙏♥️
#9 Create.
Make something. Make something where there was nothing before. Make art. Make beautiful art, ugly art, angry art! Cook a meal. Write a poem. Photograph nature. Make a joyful noise! Creation is a diversion and an act of defiance. It is an expression of your best self.
I wake up and make art every day. Sometimes it’s just 15 minutes.It’s my meditation and it keeps me grounded. It gives me the joy I need in life to balance all the shit that’s raining down right now. Making art gives me a sense of control in this chaos. Here’s this thing I made that never existed before. I made this. It’s an expression of my free will.
Love it! I always remind people to stay connected to their muse!
As Martha Beck, the sociologist says....don't ask what can I do....rather what can I make...it is time to use our creativity and imagination. I am making political love letters to Congress people and others who show courage, smarts AND action to save our beloved country and her democracy
I love this idea! Thank you for sharing!
John, A next column might include the Trump 2025 Trail of Tears Proposal, where he advocates getting rid of the Palestinians by force. Here is the last time that happened:
The Trail of Tears was the forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850, and the additional thousands of Native Americans and their enslaved African Americans[3] within that were ethnically cleansed by the United States government.[4]
As part of Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States to newly designated Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River after the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830.[5][4][6] The Cherokee removal in 1838 was the last forced removal east of the Mississippi and was brought on by the discovery of gold near Dahlonega, Georgia, in 1828, resulting in the Georgia Gold Rush.[7] The relocated peoples suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation while en route to their newly designated Indian reserve. Thousands died from disease before reaching their destinations or shortly after.[8][9][10] A variety of scholars have classified the Trail of Tears as an example of the genocide of Native Americans;[11][b] others categorize it as ethnic cleansing.
Thank you for your comment. It was truly a genocide of Native Americans.
I felt, as I was reading this, that I heard a very wise man helping me to keep my head above water. I can’t and won’t have the TV on for fear I’ll have to hear his voice, it’s my way of dealing, thus reading your columns and others in the same boat, helps me cope. Thank you for this.
I agree. I don’t watch news or videos or clips or listen to his voice or even look at his pictures of his face. I haven’t in almost 10 years. He is a rapist, a pedophile (his daughter), a liar and cheat and con, a cruel and evil person who makes fun of women, POC, vulnerable populations with zero empathy. This is evil. And when I hear or see the evil oozing from him, it makes me physically ill. I couldn’t even watch him on The Apprentice years and years ago because something didn’t feel right to me.
💯% agree!
Me too sister. 😔
My go-to for reinforcing my personhood and humanity: dancing. Dancing hard. Dancing in the form of teaching the ballet classes I am teaching and pushing my students hard enough so that by the end of class they are smiling and endorphin-elevated. Dancing in the form of taking ballet classes when I have the chance (I shoot for 2 a week). But also putting on music and dancing around my living room to the bemusement of my 67-lb poodle. Dance, as Jules Feiffer used to illustrate, as if no one is watching and you have everything to live for. It is at best a temporary solution but it does help.
I have always loved dancing to music in the kitchen while preparing food. Celebrating life 😌 Always lifts my spirits. Today I think I’ll make brownies. 🌻
I have placed many calls to Congress, am spending more time with Mom and grandchildren. and CBD for the pains. Meditation, hot bathds, good food with a glass of wine. 😊🙏❤️
I thought when DT was elected that he was on a journey of getting even and I had to be prepared. What I hadn't counted on was Elon and his raids of our government depts. That led me to get angry and rather than just be that I started calling Senators, Congress Reps and writing. I let my anger spill to them and told them DO YOUR JOB. Well not that blunt but that was the idea. I felt better and others I noted were doing the same. Results were good. So I took a deep breath and said when everyone stands together WE HAVE A VOICE. So I can do what I want now and breathe a sigh. Yes I am back to carrying my passport on me just in case ICE drops by. I did that the first time Trump was in and am back to it again.
Thank you for this. I realize I have been acting accordingly, particularly in the past few days. I’m working on finding small opportunities for resistance- be it making a data breach complaint to my state AG, or pointing out the bs online, or laughing and mocking a MAGA supporter who is just plain stupid. Sleep is coming a bit easier but I still toss and turn - I just don’t want to sleepwalk through the day to get by. But the worm will turn I’m sure of it.
I'm so glad you're feeling better! And your advice for managing the ways this 'shit show' is affecting. us right now is appreciated. I made the biggest carrot cake ever yesterday and managed to actually eat a small piece, though I felt sickened by the news all day. And i signed up for a postcard writing project via the social justice group at my church. This morning when I woke up feeling a sense of dread and tension around my diaphragm I called up Krishna's teaching from the Bhagavad Gita when the hero Prince Arjuna is heartbroken that his friends and relatives have started a war against him. In essence, this was, 'Sometimes you just have to gird up your loins and take care of business.' Also Jesus calling a spade a spade when he described the sellout religious establishment of his day a bunch of 'whited sepulchers'--in olther words, rotten men in nice suits. And now we must face this day. Let's face it together in the knowledge of the truth,
Thank you. Your words help. I got to visit with my two little grandchildren this week, a source of great joy, so I will hold tight to that feeling.
I really needed to read this. Thank you!
#3 is an important one. Many people don't realize how trauma is embedded into our bodies not just our brains and emotions. I like to scream if I'm in my car alone or stomp my feet , knead bread rigorously, you get the idea. The other day a Time magazine had Trump on the front of it. I saw it on the floor as I was going to bed. I started stomping and jumping on it yelling that I hated him. My husband thought I had snapped and then laughed and said it was a good thing. I slept like a baby that night. 😌
I am reading a book by Bessel Van Der Kola entitled "The Body Keeps Score." The book deals with embedded trauma in our bodies and the havoc it wreaks unattended. It is fascinating and helpful; I recommend it.
A dear friend gave me that book a few months ago, but I thought it was only meant for physical trauma. Thank you for the nudge. I´ll have to pick it up again, and read more than the forward.
Thank you for your post. I usually write over the felon's face and make it uglier than it already is. Then I "talk" to the narcissist as I rip the paper up with glee!
I smile. It felt good to rip the misogynist to pieces.
Many good points, John, but don't forget to add (number 9?) the importance of connecting with other who share your concerns-some of whom might even be technically on the "other side" in order to fight all this as best we can and not submit to tyranny and cruelty.
All this is implied in what you have said, but it deserves its own number in your list! Thanks.
I agree. I'm lucky that I work in an office where everyone has the same political beliefs and we sat around the lunch table yesterday and laughed about the horror and the memes and shared our worries about what's going on. It feels so good to have like-minded good people to share the situation with.
I told my husband just last night “if it weren’t so horrible it would actually be hilarious”. And then I think hysteria took over for a bit. We started laughing SO hard. And speaking quips from shows and movies “pets heads are falling off!”, “serenity now- insanity later!”, “you shot the invisible horseman!! It’s like livin’ with a 6 year old!”. Laughed til we cried. Comedic relief. 🤣🤣😳
Donate if you can. With our government being commandeered by Elon Musk, aid to people who need it is going away, and people are going to die because of that. If you can help someone, do it, because we can no longer count on our taxpayer dollars doing any good. It might help a little and it might make you feel better, too. Write to congress, and do it often. Write for yourself—it’s constructive and cathartic and creative.
Thank you, John. I took your list to heart. I burst into tears while reading, and had that cry that I had been holding inside - for fear that if I started crying, I would not be able to stop. Of course, you were right. It was wracking, cathartic, and surprising brief. And I feel energized and my focus is sharper. Take care, my friend. - Joy
Thank you for your words, John. I think I would go crazy if I didn't have wise and supportive people like you on Substack. I have lost a sister because I will not associate with anyone who supports the hatred, racism, and corruption in this country. Both of my children are supporters of the sociopathic felon and during Covid I had to move in with my son which causes me much stress and grief. I struggled as a single mom. I was the first in my family to go to college and I worked over 40 years as an RN to support my children. They both have Masters Degrees and yet, they are brainwashed into the cult of lies. I have been a Warrior Woman my entire life so I know how to stand up for myself and others. I just never thought that at 77 I would have to move and start my life over again.
Oh boy do I relate. My kids are in their mid forties and I have a terrible time dealing with the fact they both drank the koolaid. I wonder where in the world I went wrong. Sometimes it feels like I’m living in the Twilight Zone. And I have to fight off beating myself up. That doesn’t help anybody. We help each other to refocus on how thrilled we were to have children and how much we enjoyed and loved them. Happy memories. We see less and less of the more religious child and family- our brand of spirituality is dangerous in their minds. Circumstances are such that our other child has to be around a lot so we have to endure the smirking and snide remarks. I’ve decided that each time this happens I’m going to respond by gently saying their name and telling them I love them like I used to do when they were little. Perhaps the loving connection we once had will call to their heart and mind. It’s not over til it’s over. 🙏♥️
Bravo! Thanks for being a bright light that also swears and makes me chuckle during these times!