What's your elaborate anxiety-management strategy today?
We'll show you ours if you show us yours.
We hear there is a Big Thing happening. Obviously we voted, so now we’re just full of feelings and nerves and no small number of unwelcome flashbacks from 2016 and have nothing really to do but wait. So, we thought it’d be nice to have a wee check in — we’ll share where our heads are, and you can dump your feelings and thoughts in the comments, too, if you’d like to.
I (Miranda) am stumbling through the day by doing things like:
Thinking about the prehistoric cave paintings in Lascaux (you may remember them from that awesome Werner Herzog documentary about them with the albino crocodile at the end?). Griffin brought home a book from school about the discovery of the cave paintings and he was full of questions and excitement. My theoretical plan today is to look up facts about the paintings to share with Griffin whenever I am tempted to check the news — just zoom out and take a long, long, long view of history. We’ll see if I can actually pull this off.
Squeezing my kids a little too often.
Wearing my Kamala shirt (just to put it out there).
Stopping at the poetry post in the neighborhood and actually reading the poem on it today (it’s “Messenger” by Mary Oliver please don’t be a snob I love her).
Inviting friends over to watch a movie tonight rather than watch, uh, whatever may go down. But help! What movie should we watch?? I want to watch something fun, good, and obviously completely absorbing. Hollywood take me awayyyyy.
I (Sarah) am weirdly, I’m nervous to admit, not feeling very anxious? I think that, whatever happens in this election, we have a lot of work to do to convince our government to put actual people first, both here and abroad. But, at the same time, I don’t want what is beautiful about this day to be lost in all the horror. So, I’m:
Thinking about all of the people who are voting today, especially the first-timers! My sweet niece, who gets to vote for a woman of color for her first presidential voting opportunity! My friends who have recently become citizens. The young voters who are thinking local and not undervaluing the power of their voices.
Drinking these fancy teas Miranda sent me while I fill out my mail-in ballot.
Inviting some friends over for comfort food and poll watching. Garlic bread, bolognese, and brownies that are mostly melted chocolate! I know there will be some wild shit tonight. I know we may not have answers for weeks. But I want to watch with people I love and my kids and maybe one glass of wine (I’m a lightweight these days, that will do me in).
Making friendship bracelets from the kit my sweet pal gave my while I was in the hospital last week (a story for another time) that say things like “KAMALA” and “VOTE” and “HOPE” and “PIZZA.”
Building Ikea furniture (okay, maybe I DO have a little anxiety to burn off) while listening to this song.
So what about you? How are you? What’s your elaborate anxiety management (or—Sarah’s addition here—hope-extending) strategy today?
Urgent update — we are now trying to nab tickets and a sitter to go see a 9:30 pm showing of Anora. Self care!