General Discussion

Do you even realize how much company you have in this predicament? How alone you AREN'T???

ALL these feelings - everything you describe - it all sounds and feels familiar.

You describe it so well. I know exactly where you are. Everybody in my Indivisible group has worked her/his tail off toward the goal of getting out the vote - and specifically, getting out the vote AGAINST trump. AND there's some getting stoned in there, too.

I hang on the words - "it makes me feel like I'm DOING SOMETHING!" That's always gotten me through some challenging times. Get busy. Book up your time. DO stuff. Whether it's taking up a hobby,cleaning out a closet, or better yet, ANY activism - like what you describe with phone-banking and donating and other stuff. There's writing letters to the editor, joining an interest group, whether it's something like the Sierra Club or World Wildlife Fund or Planned Parenthood or Biden/Harris 2020. Or whatever! Your own Democratic party, state or county. Your local Indivisible group. I've probably annoyed one too many DUers here, posting about my Indivisible group.

(And I just wanna add here, folks, I am NOT getting paid to promote the Indivisible movement. I don't think they do that, anyway. Doubt they even need the PR.)

Granted, frontline political activism is not for everybody, but grouping together to do something-or-other is NEVER a bad idea. Since we all can't meet in person these days, seems to me we need some sort of connection like that even more! There's Zoom, too, and many of these groups meet on a weekly basis. So at least you can talk and joke and see people's faces and stay caught up.

But there are things you can do to get through it. Frankly, activism is certainly keeping me from feeling desolate or depressed. Actually, it's more like being inspired! You can get a - pardon the expression - "contact high" from something like this. There's one woman in my Indivisible group who started writing postcards to voters back in APRIL! She said she's sent 850 so far. Holy cannoli! I can't even think about that one without getting inspired!

Another idea: check in HERE. Let DU be your friend and your companion. Heck, this place has helped me get through not one but TWO supremely fucked-up, revolting, scandal-ridden, criminal, callous, cheap, greedy, short-sighted, deceitful, unfeeling, uncaring, unsympathetic, and quite literally murderous Republi-CON administrations, bush/cheney AND this one now. I often find myself quoting our own Skittles who said "someone's always here." I found that to be true personally after my mom's death in 2006. People saw my post and checked in and buoyed me up and kept me company at all hours, in all timezones. That Skittles comment has been a life raft for me at times.

You're doing the exact right thing, right now as you're reading through this thread. Keep it. It'll remind you of how many shoulders there were/are for you to lean on when you need it!