Losing My Religion
Last week, I was feeling all high and mighty about how great it is to hear opposing views in order to understand alternative perspectives. And now it’s as if the universe is truly putting all of us to the test.
For those who were hoping (or praying, if you’re into that) to see a Democratic landslide in the U.S. election, it definitely rained on our parade. And for those who see the world (or America) through a red lens, they are likely just as miffed that their almighty ruler did not get a clean sweep.
I’ve opined before about how I feel about Donald Trump. He’s a bully and a liar and generally detestable in my mind. But that’s in my mind. There are a whole lot of people (70 million give or take) who voted for him. And I know many Republicans will say that they don’t agree with how he carries himself, but they support his politics so they put aside the rest. And I’m having so much trouble wrapping my head around it.
The only thing that I’ve been able to do to get myself out of the mental funk is to accept that I never will understand. Politics and religion have so much in common. They are based on beliefs in a system that aligns with (and sometimes defines) who we are. And much of the time, all of the facts in the world will not deter someone from believing what they want to believe. I have as much of a chance of convincing a Trump-loving American that they’re misguided, as I have of convincing a devout Catholic that they should convert to Judaism. (Not even the best matzah ball will convince them.)
And that makes an anxious, control-freak type like myself very uncomfortable. But as anyone who has dealt with anxiety knows, it results from feeling a lack of control over your environment. So for me, the antidote is to focus on what I can control. And what I can control is how much TV I watch, how much I engage in philosophical debates, how much I appreciate the country I live in (Oh, Canada!), and most importantly, constantly reminding myself that things always work out in the end
That may seem overly optimistic, but I bet four years ago, many of you thought we’d never make it to this day. And yet, here we are. So we will make it another four years. And there will be ups and there will be downs (I bet you didn’t see COVID coming) but we’ll get through it.
And that doesn’t just go for the political stage, but our lives in general. While my analytical background tends to make me overly pragmatic and at times skeptical, in the end, I consider myself somewhat of a romantic. I always tend to believe in the happy ending. Because when I’m wrong, I just assume it’s not the end. And when I am at the end, I won’t know it ‘cause I’ll be dead! As morbid as that sounds, it’s true. It ain’t over ‘til it’s actually over, so let’s all try to look on the bright side. (Turning off the TV is a good first step.)