Discussion Thread: How Are You?

I am feeling very anxious about the state of the world at the moment. For all the obvious reasons.

I'm also having troubling thoughts today about where we may be headed next, because of an exchange I had on Twitter this morning.

After I shared a piece about how Congressional Republicans still don't GAF about checking Donald Trump and noting for the millionth time that it's because Trump isn't an anomaly of Republican politics but was an inevitability, @MamaGaylor replied, "I'm less sanguine he's the endgame. I'm genuinely frightened that there's someone with cool intelligence waiting for their opportunity."

I said, "He's the endgame of the Republican Party in a democracy, even a deeply flawed one. Whatever or whoever comes next will exist in a whole new context, where political parties don't matter anymore."

She said, "I 'hearted' because that's the only option twitter gives me, but what I really meant is that you scared the bejesus out of me, the bejesus I thought had already fled."

To which I replied:

Yeah. Pence with the consolidated power of an unfettered authoritarian is truly my worst nightmare.

— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) August 23, 2018

Maybe it won't be Pence. Maybe it will be someone else. And, as always these days, I hope to Maude that I am wrong, just so wildly wrong, and the future won't look like what I'm envisioning at all.

The fact that it's even a possibility is enough to keep me up at night.

Meanwhile, I've already had three doctor's appointments this week, and I've got a fourth tomorrow, in pursuit of answers about the vertigo, cluster headaches, and lingering pain in my side I've been experiencing. I've got more tests and appointments awaiting me next week.

Every doctor I see asks me about my stress levels and the most honest answer I could give would just be gales of mirthless laughter morphing into heaving sobs.

So that's how I am, basically. Stressed the fuck out about a future I have dedicated my life to preventing that now feels inexorable.

And I am, as always, glad for this community, in this moment. Anyone who wants to join me in another enormous virtual group hug is welcome.

How are you?