I’ve been struggling with some newly learned information today from a close friend. It’s put me in a funk while I search my brain trying to understand her reasoning. Understanding and reconciling are different from acceptance. I accept what she’s doing but my system is out of sorts with it. To say the least. I’ve been consumed by her decision all day.
My close female friend is voting for Donald Trump. I hyperventilate typing that sentence. She’s an intelligent, kind, talented, lovely person with high emotional intelligence I’d say. I often gain a different perspective of things when we talk. But not today. Today I’m flummoxed, deflated and depressed.
She’s a devout Christian, one who participates in Bible study each week. And she believes that Jesus chooses broken people when he wants his work to be done. And that belief allows her to vote for Donald Trump to be President of the United States. Yup.
I’ve tried to counter that argument, haven’t and won’t succeed. After everything she knows about what kind of person he really is – how he cheats, scams, avoids taxes, demeans women, forces himself on women, cheats on his wives – not to mention his temperament, bullying, lying viciously, multiple bankruptcies, lawsuits, knowing absolutely nothing about economic and foreign affairs and not having the patience, or interest to learn – she’s voting for him.
So now it’s my problem to handle. I’m a person fiercely driven by principles. While I’m not sure I could ever have an abortion, I absolutely believe that others should have the right to make that choice themselves. I’m not gay or a transsexual, but that doesn’t pre-empt my feeling that those gender identity people have the same inherent rights I do. I think that’s what Jesus taught – love, compassion and forgiveness. I know she feels differently. She’s a bible literalist I think, though I’ve never been to her bible study group. And it’s those issues and other “family values” that’s driving her vote. Never mind that Trump is not Christian and that he’s the antithesis of Jesus Christ. There’s nothing noble about that man. And yet he will get her vote.
This election season has agitated my constitution. Other than Trump’s cult members I can’t understand why anyone would think he’s fit for the highest post in the world. Donald Trump? Are you kidding me? Would the same people vote for Charles Manson if he ran on the Republican ticket? Or Hitler? Even the Republican brass is renouncing him as their choice. Where have we gone as a country?
Alas, this is my problem, the need for people to look at the facts, objectively. Maybe if we had a less divisive opponent, someone other than Hillary, maybe it wouldn’t be so hard for people to take their heads out of the sand. I won’t go into why there’s such hatred and distrust directed at Hillary – just suffice it to say that the smear campaign lasting years and years has been effective. Forget all her years of family and children activism, and her successful track record. The haters hate.
I put this out to the universe from the depths of my soul….
Please let the vast majority of people and delegates elect Hillary. The planet is in peril otherwise and the rest of the world knows it.
actthreedotnet 
Letting Go
Posted in health, meditation, musings, Uncategorized, tagged commentary, Enneagram, Health, meditation, observation on November 6, 2012| 1 Comment »
It’s a good thing I voted early, otherwise I’d be hobbling into the polling station with a very stiff and cranky lower back. It’s much wiser and safer to be nursing it with some ibuprofen and a heating pad with hopes that it feels better tomorrow.
No barn duty today either although it’s my morning to help with the horses at the Rescue. Tuesdays come quickly and they’re usually greeted with a healthy back and ambitious attitude to feed, turn out and clean stalls. That’s actually what may have aggravated my back last week during some pretty heavy lifting in some very dirty stalls.
My back has been in great shape for years, thanks to regular exercise and yoga. But with the cooler weather here and maybe a case of nerves leading up to the election, my back has decided to take control out of my hands and leave it up to fate.
Our bodies have a way of letting us know when it’s time to let go. To let go of controlling things over which we have no control.
Being a Type A personality, (actually, I like to call myself a recovering Type A), I’ve always needed to control my destiny. My career put me in constant touch with news and pop culture and my leadership roles allowed me to be the gatekeeper I needed to be. I had influence over content, budgets, direction, staffs and the masses.
Perfect.
As my bank account grew with my advancements, so did my sense of personal freedom. Money has always meant freedom to me, rather than the acquisition of “stuff,” though I accrued that too. And with that freedom came a sense of control over my destiny. Oops, there’s that word control again.
If you think my childhood had anything to do with that, you’d be right. But that’s another subject. (Or, if you know anything about the Enneagram model, and my type number, you might also realize control issues are in line with that too.)
Anyway, I digress. Back to control…
These days the issue of control is one that I’m working to live without. I’ve consciously started to live my life without assuming leadership functions. Passion may describe a defining personal attribute, but that doesn’t have to lead to controlling an outcome. A Buddhist tenet is to do what you must and let go of the outcome. To not be so attached to the activity and its motivation, but, rather to do what’s right and give the rest up to the wind. What will be, will be. I’ve done my part, now let it go.
That’s what I think my back has been telling me for a few days now. I’ve voted, I’ve been an activist for principles that guide me. Now, just relax and let it be what it will be.
Thank you, back.
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