Thursday night I slept for nine hours straight. That is almost unheard of for me as usually I’m quite fine on about five-and-a-half hours. It is even becoming a regular occurrence of having to take a nap when I get home to make it through the evening. I was and have been exhausted.
I’m not particularly exhausted because of work or health issues.
I’ve come to believe I’m exhausted because of what is happening in our society and politics since Trump was elected President. His over 10,000 (some reports have it at over 13,000) lies are tiring from being overworked trying to sort out what his lies, how they will affect the world, and the wondering of why he does it and, maybe more importantly, how he continues to get away with it.
It is tiring to hear, see or read the news on Twitter, Facebook, TV, and print because every time there is a lie there is an emotional reaction. Since Trump averages 13 lies a day, that is a lot of emotional upheaval—anger, sadness, resentment, hopelessness, just to name a few.
It is tiring to hear Republicans defending Trump’s lies and his support of Russia. Of Republicans, and in particular #MoscowMitch, not legislating on bills that will help the citizens of our great country. Of Republicans standing by and letting #MoscowMitch also be the Grim Reaper in terms of not passing legislation to, at the very least, defend our elections or even our lives from senseless gun violence.
It is tiring to hear members of the 99% defending Trump because he is going to build a boondoggle wall to “protect” them, or being okay with forcibly separating families and locking children in concentration camps, or allowing children to be essentially kidnapped from their families and possibly be put up for adoption.
It is tiring to hear people I believed had critical thinking skills in my own circle of family and friends thinking what Trump is doing is good for the country, overlooking his misogyny, racist/white supremacist rhetoric, and outright worship of all things authoritarian. Of them being so short-sighted and not thinking how this will affect future generations of their granddaughters, their neighbors and colleagues, and their freedoms.
It is tiring to try and counter the lies and discrimination in helping my own children and, as an educator, students, in not repeating or falling for the false information on what seems to be an hourly occurrence.
I’m exhausted, yet know I must keep on speaking up and out, of pointing out the lies, of trying to help my children, students and people I interact with on a daily basis not fall into the Trump abyss, and remaining woke to what is happening around me and doing everything in my power to effect positive influence on society.
If you are exhausted like me, let’s help one another, no matter how tired, to keep up the good fight, and to remember to VOTE.
We have to because the alternative is just too frightening to imagine.
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 