Choose Joy

I struggle with a choice many are facing today.  Do I withdraw in the face of our country’s slide towards autocracy?  Or do I become more active and join the struggle?  Do I deal with fear and depression by sticking my head in the sand?  Or do I accept the effort, risk, and uncertainty of doing my bit and fighting back?

Ben Fox, in an editorial in the Minnesota Star Tribune, helped me answer these questions. He says,

Running away now is running away from all of your loved ones when they need you most.

He quotes comedian Andy Borowitz.

Remaining silent and surrendering to despair is exactly what fascists want us to do. So let’s not.

What can I do, just a speck in the ocean of social media? At the least, I can learn and write. OK, I’ll do that, starting with this post.

Next question, one triggered by Fox’s words;

Humor is care. We must both embrace and give each other this care

We need to create and maintain collective joy to ensure our survival under Trump.

I’m not a comedian. How do I write about current affairs while avoiding too much gloom and doom? I’ll continue to blog about photography, books, and music. I’ll expand my blog to write posts on politics and foreign relations. Can I be humorous? That will be a challenge. I don’t know any jokes–I leave that to my grand-nephews and grand-nieces.

Fox concludes his editorial with words from Seth Meyers.

Now is the time to stand in solidarity with our friends, with our neighbors, with the vulnerable communities, and begin the hard work of making real the world we want to live in . . .

And we are still gonna try to have fun.

Song about fun: Get Some Fun Out Of Life

Fox, Ben,(2024, Nov. 30), We must reclaim joy by laughing to endure Trump (editorial), Minnesota Star Tribune, page A9

Happy Trails

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