Listen. You have been calling your members of Congress for a year now. You’ve been writing postcards, signing petitions, and sharing memes. You’ve circulated a petition to end Gerrymandering, and you’ve attended the Women’s Marches. You. Are. Crushing. It.
Tonight, give yourself a break. Here is a list of what you could do instead of listening to the State of the Union, in which our president will no doubt spew lie after lie in an effort to stoke his base and ego.
- Read a comforting or uplifting book.
- Take a long, hot shower.
- Write an actual letter to someone. We need connection now more than ever.
- Bake! It’s meditative, and you end up with treats.
- Read to your kids, or help with homework.
- Watch a movie. I recommend The Contender, or the American President.
- Finally get into the West Wing, or re-watch a favorite episode.
- Read this and re-commit to resisting the manipulation of language.
- Take a look at this, and use it to re-commit to activism in 2018.
- Above all, remember this: You aren’t crazy. This isn’t normal. You are only one person, but you can work with others to make a difference. Change will be slow and feels excruciating. We are the majority.