27 Comments
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Kahopeti's avatar

I actually got an energy boost from protesting out in the cold snow yesterday. It really felt good and renewed my sense of good citizenship. Get lots of rest- Everybody! Take care of your hearts.

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Leigh Horne's avatar

Me, too. Course my feet hurt today. Worth it!

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Susan Williams's avatar

Agree with everything, John, except this “Maybe we'll communicate with each other across divides better.” There is no communicating better with MAGA. A recent online discussion with another local soon revealed he was MAGA where he was spouting “knowledge” about the current federal administration and NC elected officials yet didn’t seem to know who was elected recently here in NC. They’ll never get out from in front of FOX news and they are truly lost causes.

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Maria K.'s avatar

Exactly. Also, I am not at all certain that we will have a chance to un-do this. Remember, Trump told his voters that "we'll fix it so you never have to vote again". I believe him. Will we have a chance to find out? Dig ourselves out of this hole? I honestly don't know.

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Ron Stempkowski's avatar

You're the conscience--the inner voice--for us, John. Thank you. As sad as things are, it definitely helps to know I'm not alone. None of us is. Peace.

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Leigh Horne's avatar

Hmm. Aging does seem accelerated in some places, and at some times. The poor age faster than the rich, those who do manual labor age faster than techies, people without kids look more rested than parents, as a rule. I ought to add that some folk get Botoxed to remove those pesky little worry lines from their foreheads, too. I don't exactly cherish mine, any more than I cherish my collapsing lumbar spinal discs, but I sometimes consider Mother Teresa's face--which was like a roadmap of sorrow and care. I'll take a shot of that, please.

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Robot Bender's avatar

Have you noticed your lumbar discs hurting more? Mine certainly have over the last few weeks.

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Kay G's avatar

This “aging” is deliberate on the part of Trump and the Project 2025 crew. Russell Vought, now confirmed as OMB head and author of much of Project 2025) openly stated that he wanted to traumatize the Federal workforce. A man that cruel who wants to “traumatize” thousands of people knows he will cause widespread trauma.

We are fighting EVIL.

Of course it is aging us.

Now is the time to pray 🙏. This is a spiritual battle of good against evil.

Let the Almighty fight for us against this open evil and those who have given their allegiance to the idols of this world - money and power.

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Brian D Smith's avatar

It's good to know I'm not the only one exhausted. This time of year is tough for me anyway. I live in Ohio, and I hate cold, dark weather. It seems like this presidency has been a year already. It's been less than month!

I wrote about my exhaustion yesterday. It publishes on my Substack tomorrow.

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Diane's avatar

I pulled this out as today's drop quote for when I need that energy boost: "Yes, you look tired, America, but that’s because your humanity is weathering inhumane days." Gave you credit of course.

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Diane Pennington's avatar

My take away from this was one of “divide and conquer“. None of us can hold all of it at the same time. If we can concentrate on caring for ourselves and our small–ish corner of the world, at least we can’t continue forward pressure and movement. God help us.

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Diane Pennington's avatar

*can continue

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Patricia Lane's avatar

There is no question that we’re all exhausted.

That is a result of many things .

To cover it all just think of not just the last few months of hell.

But the last ten years of Trumps disastrous presence in government. The lies are meant to confuse us and cause chaos while trying to bend our minds ,attempting to make sense of something that doesn’t.

This is the plan , Trumps and Putins plan, aided and abetted by the project 2025 contingent, billionaires who are assuring themselves of continuous multiplication of their billions. The greed which has become the hallmark of these extremely wealthy people who are all pretending to be ‘ Christian’s’, and are precisely not Christian .

Putin has been cashing in on his statement about destroying America from within, Trump / Musk are his fool tools.

They’re doing a great job trashing and destroying the things that make America, America.

The press and the Magas are cut from the same cloth, the “ go along to get along” tarp that covers up and confuses many.

The collection of perverse, deviant individuals put into place as the directors of the agencies Thayer been hired to destroy.

Yes we’re exhausted , but it’s time to get energized by our need to fight this Dictatorship ordered up by Putin, Orban, Trump, Musk, Vance etc etc. interesting how the people who have benefitted most financially from this Country, now want to change the rules to get more .

The rest of us are only too aware of where we fit into this scheme.

We are all irrelevant, and expendable.

It is tiring , but there are many more of us than there are them.

I think all that’s good and just is on our side.

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Adrienne's avatar

It's like you live in my brain!! I much prefer you being there to the decade-long occupation of "he who shall not be named". Your posts bring me joy!! Thank you!!

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Mim Eisenberg (NYer now in GA)'s avatar

Ah, so that explains the new lines in my 82-year-old face and my overall achiness and the fact that I went to bed at 11, woke briefly at 7 to take out the garbage, and went back to sleep until 10. And I still feel exhausted. But I still used 5Calls today and Climate Action. I can't be environmentally or politically inactive.

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Jill's avatar

This weekend I received a wake up from God. We attend the Episcopal Church now and this past Sunday the readings were Jeremiah 17:5-10 (trusting in humans vs God) 1st Corinthians 15:12-20 (humans die but resurrection is promised) & Luke 6:17-26 (his version of the Beatitudes). What spoke to my heart is that I was reminded that God is still over us all, we do not rely on humans but him and that the Beatitudes remain what we aspire to. I have more peace and less fear. I will stand strong, He will provide strength and the manner I live my faith matters.

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Upgeya Pew's avatar

Relentless repeated infections with SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) is contributing to this aging as well. The widespread denial of the risks and danger of infection is part and parcel of an attitude of denial of reality and consequences, and a refusal to take responsibility - also present in the denial of global warming consequences, and the move towards fascism.

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Star Aasved's avatar

We need to change those "Maybe" to "We will."

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Ellie Hampton's avatar

Paraphrasing: "If you don't look older and tired, you're not paying attention."

Unfortunately!

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Nina M Hipperson's avatar

Despair Antidote: check out the amazing “Elowyn Game” and enjoyably experience learning/practicing Win-Win skills as a way to cooperatively replace our old failing competitive-us-them ways! Exciting and FUN!

https://www.earthwise.global/elowyn-game

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