One week after the election, friends and family (like us) are licking their wounds, fearing the future, and reassessing their future media consumption. I think many are tired of the daily hits to their central nervous systems and, frankly, wary of four more years of shenanigans in Washington.
I get it. Part of me wants to hide under the covers and go back to reading novels.
Our weekly political routine has been watching Brooks & Capeheart on Fridays (PBS), Real Time with Bill Mahr (Max), Meet the Press on Sundays and reruns of Stephen Colbert’s monologues from The Late Show (YouTube). I’ve also been watching Bryan Tyler Cohen and Robert Reich. Beth reads the New York Times Op-Ed’s regularly.
It amounts to a left of center, pro-Democratic Party, anti-MAGA echo chamber that has been saying, “Trump? Really?” since he decided to run again.
One week in, I’m settling into a pseudo-hopeful, it can’t be all bad, wishful thinking, dissociative stupor. I’m still watching some video, but I’m also thinking about removing the YouTube app from my phone just as I did with Facebook three years ago.
My work requires me to be healthy and present and I’m not feeling either this week. In fact, I visited a chiropractor today for the first time in 25 years. That may be 100% physical, but I doubt it. I’m inclined towards a belief that, as I stated above, my central nervous system has felt assaulted.
Last Monday, Beth and I decided to take a break from caffeine and to monitor our eating more closely. We’ve already got a mostly plant-based diet, but we’re experimenting with a deeper dive that limits sugar, gluten, carbs and meat. Our hope is that we will counteract any negative thoughts and vibes in the culture with a cleaner diet.
I guess you could say we are endeavoring to clean up our act after a stressful and toxic relationship with politics and the media affected our serenity. Let’s see how it goes.
