While it is true and very unfortunate that the remarkably poor choice that is Donald J Trump has won the election, this certainly doesn't mean that it's the end of days. Oh, don't misconstrue: I hate the idea of that man in office as much as any of you do, but unlike many of those among my friends, I know when I am *not* beat. For you see, I take his ascension to power as a rallying cry: anything he would do, I would do the stark opposite of, not necessarily out of spite, mind you, but because I know that what he does is just plain incorrect.
1.) be healthier. Here is a man whose trade, up until recently, was in self-indulgence, in not caring for what is best for the person, and more on what felt best. He would even advocate laying back and being unhealthy, his actions would promote obesity epidemics, for all we know. By eating healthier foods, making your own meals, working out more, abstaining from damaging substances, you combat the “eat, drink, and be merry” mentality that Trump fosters, and permits. And if you can’t cook, that’s okay. You can either learn (the better choice), or find friends who can (and they can teach you).
2.) be frugal. Trump’s main claim to fame was previously in owning establishments in which decadence, excess, and greed are the order of the day. His casinos are places in which visitors fritter away their monies on meaningless, tawdry things. They get cleaned out, if not by the gambling. With this, watch your money. Spend wisely. Save some for when you need it most and while buying yourself something pretty is always fun, don’t overdo it. Work smarter, not harder. Find ways of doing more with less.
3.) learn new languages. Unlike Trump, whose views condemn people not like him, you will know better. In learning ways to communicate with your non-English-speaking neighbors and friends, you establish better bonds, greater empathy, and perhaps even love. If you are able to empathize with the people that Trump opposes, you can understand why it is that both parties' natures clash. And when that happens, you can establish peace better than he ever could.
4.) take a greater stance for the environment. Trump, for his own reasons, doesn't believe in global warming. He thinks it's some kind of elaborate hoax orchestrated and executed by the Chinese, because we all know that Trump thinks rather poorly of our friends in the Far East. Drive less, walk more. Take the bus whenever possible, meet new people, lessen the air pollution, save money for yourself on gas when you really need it, bike if you have to. Conserve your energy for when you need it most: unplug your devices, don't use water when you don't need to, take shorter showers, sort out your recyclables.
5.) don't be spiteful to others. Admittedly, I was one of the people who would shame Trump supporters, but now I realize just how foolish I was to do that. Oh, don't misunderstand: I still hate the fact that he's president more than anything I can think of a present moment, but I realize that by shaming people who supported him, I'm no better than the people who shamed us for supporting Bernie. If people buy into his statements, if people think that global warming is really a hoax, that gay marriage should be abolished, that other countries are our enemies, that this country is anything but great, then you have no grounds to show spite towards their opinions. Just remember, they were spiteful to your views, but that doesn't mean have any reason to be spiteful of theirs. Be empathetic, be understanding, be gracious, be everything you felt they weren't, and perhaps, if anything happens at all, you'll see that at least some of them aren't all that bad, and perhaps turn the ones that are bad into better people. In promoting hatred towards anyone, you go against what this country is meant to achieve: to be a land of welcoming, of acceptance, and yes, of charity and warmth.
6.) smile. Trump's platform was based off the notion that America is not great, that America is lost, and that he alone could "make it great". He was unaware of the folly of his ways with his defeatist attitude. I'm not telling you to be blissfully ignorant or even happy of his statements, I'm telling you to look for the silver lining in the clouds, even if those clouds are smoggy and choking. There can be something wonderful in this world, but if all you do is intend sit around and wait for it instead of looking for it, or even making it, I’m afraid you’ll be sitting down for a very long time. Look for/make reasons/be a reason, for others to be happy.
7.) be on the lookout. There will be happiness yet to come. It may be happiness you have to dig for, it may be happiness you must find in other, unknown places, but it's there all the same.
8.) support the smaller man (or woman, or neither). Trump’s actions in the past have been a detriment to the common man. He’s taken advantage of those who couldn’t stand up for themselves, or plowed over their rights. Don’t let him do that to you. Stand up for those who would suffer at his hands. Stand up for your LGBTQA brethren. Watch over your Muslim/Mexican/black/female friends and family. Embrace those who get stepped on, if you can. Walt Whitman once said to stand up for the stupid and the crazy, and I personally uphold the nothing that no one is stupid or crazy. Remember when President Obama stood up for that old man with a Trump sign? Take a leaf from his book: don’t let others traipse all over people, for even if their views are different than yours, it makes no difference. Show kindness, even if the person receiving it is unkind themselves. Eat at local, non-franchise places. Buy your clothing secondhand. Support local art. Patronize small business. Stand up for the oppressed and the voiceless.
