I Can Breath
Call me crazy, and I realize opening my mouth and admitting my opinion may make many angry, but I am hoping that does not simply have them unfriend or completely ignore me. That has been part of the problem for me for a long time.
I was up til 3 am watching as poll numbers came in. I swore I would not do it and watched reruns of NYPD Blue for hours but started flipping and could not stop. I know it was out of my hands but had hoped enough people did try to let their voices be heard this time. The thing is it was SO close for so long, but I had a second wind and wanted to see it through. Of course I know how these things go so I had to check if things flip flopped overnight. lol
I understand now that we ALL have our reasons for voting and thinking the way we do. The difference is in the past when someone opposing the other side spoke up they were either ridiculed or discounted. It is time for us all to be able to accept different opinions without going into attack mode. Let's hope this brings some change and unity again.
Our country needs to be led, supported and our safety and energy independence can help us (in my opinion anyway) I will continue to hope and pray for the change we need.
Hugs to all, even those who may now hate me.
Replies
do not hate change.....just not happy with the election results in my state and nation.....but this too shall pass.....Trump gets four years and never again can run for president.....and I get four years to watch that clock tick tock along for four years......LOL
hopefully I get four more years but then it is one day at a time and we never know when our time comes to end.....
Hello Kim
Trump will fix it.
We definitely did not need a President from California.
The end of the Green New Deal nonsense.
Kim, hang on. That "man" is not going to do much but whine about how badly he is treated. We need to respect each other, no matter what our opinion about things are. Hugs
do not forget he is about to be sentenced for 12 felonies.....
Troy I am so glad to have at least one person who sees things as i do. Thanks for that. Hugs
Well it’s your journal so you can post whatever you want. In a free society anyone can express their opinion, and people then can express if they disagree. That’s how it works.
What I don’t really totally get is why it matters if others agree. I refuse to discuss politics or express my political beliefs or share who I voted for with strangers, friends or family because not only do I not want to alienate anyone since everyone is so freakin’ touchy and emotional, on both sides, but also because it’s no one’s effing business but my own who I vote for. I don’t need anyone to validate me that way.
Before social media and the 24 news cycle, people had much more decorum. I don’t even tell my husband who I vote for because I value my right to vote (privately) more than I value any specific candidate or political party or value anyone’s opinion on my choice.
I don't know , maybe it was partially for validation. As I mentioned before I was always silenced and discounted. For years now I just wanted for people to allow me to simply speak... or even to listen.
I live alone and feel isolated and forgotten as it is. I have come across many people through work (both coworkers and customers) and do get involved in conversation. In a society where anyone who speaks and does not completely agree with the current state of the country or how things are being handled was picked off as a radical, many have been afraid to speak. I've found that it gives some comfort to know there are others out there.
I just wanted to be able to say what I think...and understand we can agree to disagree. I am tired of being silent
Yeah sorry I didn’t mean to sound like I was specifically questioning you. Just was curious generally I guess. Your feelings are yours and are valid of course. But no one is really preventing you from speaking up or having an opinion. And disagreement doesn’t necessarily equate not hearing someone. But I get it; if we always felt like we didn’t have a voice growing up, in a relationship or in a family dynamic it, it’s hard to shake off that feeling within us. But truly I don’t see that you can’t say what you think if you feel compelled to express yourself.
I don’t know. I grew up in a pretty dysfunctional toxic environment and really felt like I didn’t matter. But you know, every day is a chance to heal from the past, to grow and learn a new way of thinking. Eventually, hopefully, we figure out how to put to bed some of that old unresolved baggage and just put our faith and trust in ourselves. You seem to see yourself as powerless and honestly from what I see, you are a very strong, resilient and intelligent woman. Embrace it.
You should never be silent. I deal with that myself. I so agree that you can agree to disagree.
Rmb- I think you are right about me feeling powerless. I cannot shake all those negative messages from years ago . There was also one from as recent as 4 yrs ago that I met here on DS. Things may have started on a good note, but in the end he said I was ALWAYS GONNA BE A VICTIM. and nothing would ever change. I was so hurt and angry and determined, but in the end, every time I hear those words it kills me. Truthfully so many of us are victims but we can overcome.
As far as being silent- Trust me ladies, that ain't gonna happen anymore! I am trying very hard now to FILTER my responses. There was a time I was trying so hard to be heard and persuade others that I would chime right in. Now I pick my battles and when I see some bashing online, I just let them go because I realize they will not hear me or ever understand my reasoning. So I agree to disagree. Just be forewarned, if someone asks me for my opinion, I will answer (and I am making up for all those years of being muzzled. lol
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and vote. I’ve been saddened by the us or them mentality and the division of our society. I’m glad you feel like you can breathe easier. I feel a vague sense of dread but time will tell if another T presidency will help or hurt. Personally I think both sides are using the drama to keep us distracted from the truth of the real issues and so that the corporate elite can keep doing business as usual. My hope is that we keep religion and government separate and maintain the economy that my business has been thriving in for the past 4 years. Ultimately it’s another morning watching the sun rise and getting ready for my day. With the Buddhist tradition of do no harm.
Glad you came back to DS Kim. I like to think that no one is right or wrong because we don’t really know what the future holds or the intricacies of global politics/finance. Many people think they do from a news outlet or social media platform they follow. And then don’t read any further. It’s a real issue that needs to be talked about so that we can all understand one another better.
Kim I think there are victims and then there is a victim mentality. The latter is I think the trap people can fall into and may be what the person you mentioned was getting at. Don’t know. But maybe it’s worth examining.
Replace the negative messages with realistic, fact based messages. Just practice it until it becomes more comfortable and then it will become more automatic. Feelings are not mandates or facts. I do get how it can be hard to work through or move beyond trauma from childhood or past relationships but it is absolutely possible.
At the end of the day no matter who we hitch our wagon to politically, once the fervor and heightened emotions dies down, we are left with still having to live in our skin, manage our own lives and deal with our own stuff. That accountability doesn’t go away. If we want better lives, most of that accountability is our own.
rmb, love what you wrote So true. We expect others to make our lives better or happier. But that is up to us. No government can do that. And I don't want them to. Hugs