Give Me a Break...

It's been a whirlwind of shit the past three weeks. It's by design. They planned it that way. To overwhelm the systems. To flood the zone with shit. To keep throwing so much stuff at everyone that there is no way to keep up. To ignore the few guardrails that were in place and just bulldoze through. To force exhaustion and then acquiescence.

And even knowing it was coming. Even never buying for a second that it wasn't going to be like this. Even telling people it was going to be bad. It's still just overwhelming.

Have you ever gotten caught in a set of waves in the ocean and not been able to break free? Even knowing how to weather it; dive under if they are high, jump above if they are low, even knowing that, if the sets just keeps breaking you feel trapped. You can see that it will end, eventually, the trick is to keep going and reach that end without drowning.

It's not easy.

Right now I think a lot of us feel like we are drowning.

Katie's approach has been to ignore most of it. She already knew this administration hated her and was going to do everything it could to villainize her. Why watch it unfold? She gets enough information sideways. Some from my Bluesky posts. Some from her friends. She is not paying attention to the barrage and just trying to focus on the things that might actually cause issue. It's the only way for her to make it through this without drowning.

I have cut back on what all I pay attention to, but probably am still consuming too much. But I can't disengage completely without feeling out of control. Not like I have any control even knowing what's happening, but it's worse if I don't at least check in and see what today's horror is. But I try not to linger. I have a few newsletters I read. I have some people I'm following on Bluesky that I check. And then I log off and read. Or try to write it all out of my head so I can rest.

It's a weird space to live in. Knowing that your democracy is failing. Knowing that your personal information is being hacked with approval of the entire Republican party. Knowing that the real pain from what is happening right now is not even being felt yet. That the worst is yet to come. And still I get up and cook breakfast and clean my house and go to the store and plan for spring flowers.

It's a weird space. Life goes on. Even when you are trying not to drown. Life keeps going. And even when it gets incredibly bad it's still going to go on. And we will still have to feed ourselves and keep our lives together and find spaces to laugh and dance and find joy. Or else we will drown. And I don't want any of us to drown.

I need a break.

We all need a break.

Find something this weekend that helps you disengage with the craziness for at least a little bit. Me? I'll be watching Michigan Men's and Women's basketball and Men's hockey. Go Blue! I'll watch some Unrivaled, Go Lunar Owls, Hooty Hoo! I'll read one of the two really good books I'm reading right now. I'll enjoy my time with Brent. I'll pet the cats.

I'll breathe deeply and swim.

I'm sending a two part story out this weekend as well. It's a (I think) cute little story I wrote for Dana last year. I hope it helps keep you afloat.