Practice what you preach

On November 9, 2016, I woke up and didn’t feel too great to put it lightly. Sleep had eluded because I was consumed by worry over a LOT of things after the elections. If I were to describe what I experienced in one word it would have to be dread. This is not me being drastic or melodramatic; this is me being honest and you can ask anyone who works with me to confirm or you can also read my blogpost from that date. It was not a good day for a lot of people and although some people offered support, a lot of other people did a lot of gloating and followed the tone set by the winner of the electoral college.

 

In an election that was way closer than this one, there were no incessant chants of stealing the election or much less what we've seen since November, even if the popular vote swayed quite a different direction by almost 3 million votes. Still, the results were accepted, for better or worse. I was worried about racial tensions, gun violence, the environment, education inequality, the healthcare system, international relations, the immigration situation, and further deepening of economic disparity, to mention some of the more major topics. I was asked for comprehension from many people who were very happy at the 2016 outcome and to quote, “give him a chance” and “have hope”. So I did that and although my initial reaction was pretty negative, I did my best to adjust and do my best to be my best, to hope and be open. 

 

The next four years unfortunately delivered on most of my worries. It has also been a time where people who said “give a chance” and “have hope” also punched down and celebrated over things I found extremely disturbing while condemning things I perceive as the pursuit of justice. Now they’ve replaced those initial calming soothing words they offered me and many like me with “this was a steal” and “we need a revolution” even though there is no evidence to this. I’m 40, so I’m no stranger to hypocrisy or double standards but I must admit that the level I’ve seen in the last months is nothing short of a masterclass. 

 

Still, today is not a good day for a lot of people. However, being on the other side of the equation this time around, that still doesn’t mean I feel the need to gloat, especially because I knew a version of that feeling from four years ago. Unlike 2016, I feel hopeful and to be honest, I’ve felt huge waves of relief at recent results, because for me, I see it as a chance to address a lot of my concerns regarding racial tensions, immigration, the healthcare system, and of course, the pandemic, among several other topics. I see it this way because the people voted out had their chance and their performance leaves a lot to be desired as well as a lot of things I saw from the administration. These results give me hope, because I’ve seen the behavior and response of people to these topics and I see a plan to address them rather than continue to feed fuel to all the fires. I also see a couple of things I haven’t seen in a long while, including messages of union, hope, peace, cooperation, and humility. If any of what I’m saying hits a nerve, allow me to ask why? I see people happy at victories won, but I don’t see them spitting in the face of the people they defeated to the level I saw four years ago, probably due to how it's being covered, but also possibly because there's less of it going around? Who knows? Will there always be someone who can’t help but say something unpleasant? Of course and I’ve seen no shortage of posts stating get the f out, bye Felicia, etc. Make no mistake, I share the sentiment, especially being from Puerto Rico and having seen the response in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, but rather than doing a football touchdown dance, and gloat, I’m just relieved...and that’s all I need. But that’s there and we are here and tone deafness is a door that swings both ways so I do my best to not feed that fire and instead focus on being as constructive as I can.

It is January 20^th, 2021 and there’s a new U.S. President. Some people are happy. Some people are pissed. That’s fine as long as we get past it and focus on the tasks at hand and make no mistake, there’s a LOT to do and a LOT to address. If the last four years have taught us anything, it’s that treating politics like a team sport is a recipe for disaster and it feels as if we’ve been living in a disaster aggravated by a pandemic. My concerns from four years ago continue with new ones: What will we do about the environment? What will be done about the immigration situation and the countless broken families in internment camps and overall hostile sentiment towards immigrants looking for a better life? What will be done to improve the situation with a healthcare system that is consistently the reason people go bankrupt and that favors profit over wellness? What will be done to address racial inequality, racism, and white nationalism? What will be done to ensure safety of kids in schools? What will be done about reproductive rights and the rights of women in general and equality for all? How will families in need be helped? How will we face this pandemic to overcome it? These are all questions I care deeply about and please notice how I didn’t divide by state, nationality, race, gender, religion, political affiliation, or anything else. My concerns are universal and that’s also something that’s been in shortage for too long. 

 

Still, unlike the previous months, I see people trying to face these challenges with a plan and at least willing to hash things out to get things done and for me that is the focus. For those who insist on being upset, I’ll offer the same words I was told four years ago, give the new president a chance and have hope. The difference is that I’m not just saying this. I mean it. If the new president starts messing up, I won’t be afraid to join anyone calling him out on it because I refuse to turn a blind eye to any elected official, democrat, republican, or independent, which is way more than what I’ve seen normalized and rationalized the last 4 years and beyond. 

 

I’ve heard a lot of people say “practice what you preach” while being just as quick to not apply this phrase to themselves. People who have memorized scripture, but either haven’t internalized it or don’t see any need to apply it. I’m ready to turn the page and continue to do my best to continue to be my best because regardless of what happens and what life deals you, the only thing you have true control over is how you respond. If you are finding today difficult, ask yourself how you can turn this into a positive. Not a retaliation, not an attack, not a countermeasure, but a positive. Although no one will ever be able to say it’s easy, one thing is for sure, it’s an option, it is possible, and at least for me, I think it’s worth your time.

 

My best to you and as always…

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls.

 

JD