2016-11-09
The news today makes me want to stop caring.
Caring is hard. It hurts. It's putting your heart out there only to have people, your country, let you down.
Like, it's a lot easier to sit on the sidelines and be cynical. If you're on neither side, then you never lose. You just get to feel superior to those who do. That's gotta be a better feeling than what I feel now.
Like, I wish I didn't care that my Mexican-American kids were upset a year ago when Trump called their families rapists. Wish I didn't care when I read the kid's email today that he's worried his Hispanic friends will be deported. Also wish I didn't overhear the LGBTQ girl openly worry about conversion therapy.
I made a point to tell my kids at the start of each class that I was glad each and every one was in the room today. And my first two hours, I let them know I don't believe in sharing how I voted with students, but I understand if they are hurt by last night's decision. And I told them (because I believe this) that they are a kinder, more empathetic, and all-around better generation than mine or the ones that have come before me.
But when they weren't in the room, I wanted to curl up in a ball, disappear, and not engage in anything ever again.
Except...
Except--screw that.
Because here's the thing--America is already great. You don't have to make America great again. You have to protect America and encourage it to be better.
Did you know that your state and national representatives represent you even if you didn't vote for them? And their contact information is just, like, all over the place? Readily available. It's right there.
So here's what I'm doing. I'm taking a social media break. Mostly from Twitter, it makes me anxious. I'm going to watch Stranger Things again and catch up on The Amazing Spider-Man. But I also bought a book of stamps and a bunch of envelopes, and I'm going to start writing everyone who represents me in the state of Indiana and in the federal government about why school choice is hurting my school. That's where I'm starting. We'll see where it goes from there.
Will I make a difference? Probably not. But what if you joined me? Will *we* make a difference? Well, then our odds go up. And apparently, this is the year of overcoming the odds.
Do what you can. Do what you're comfortable with. Talk to people on Facebook. Protest. Write letters. Sign people up to vote. Phone bank. Remember, midterms are in two years. Vote in those! Go to a local city council meeting. Hey, if you're Republican, YOUR DEMOCRAT FRIENDS WANT YOU TO DO THIS TOO. I know none of you, my Republican friends, hate gay people and birth control as much as Mike Pence thinks you do, so if you could tell your party that you want lower taxes but not this stuff--that helps the country by removing the barriers that keep us from meeting halfway.
So, be angry. Be sad. Be disappointed. Take a month off. But I don't like feeling helpless, I hate being cynical, so I'm going to channel my energy into something that is maybe a drop in the bucket, but at least it's doing something. I am going to be more guarded, sure. But I'm still going to care about things.
Because no one ever won the game by sitting on the sidelines.
And I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.













