At the risk of sounding pedantic, I feel like I am staring at the proverbial elephant in the room and choosing to step around it. I’m not quite sure how to deal with this elephant, but there it is, taking up an entire room in my psyche. I’m talking about the evil that’s taking over our country, which is manifested by greed, lack of compassion for marginalized people, and absence of concern for our endangered planet.

As I ignore this elephant and enjoy my blessings, feeling powerless in my ability to do anything about the dissolution of the Land of the Free, I am reminded of the quote “all that is necessary for evil to prosper is for good people to do nothing.”

I listen to the news, wring my hands and then go for a hike in the desert. I help maintain water barrels for the intrepid migrants still attempting to cross over, and then go swim at the HOA pool. I sometimes feel like Marie Antoinette.

Our administration seems to believe that making sweeping changes in government spending will make America great again. But they seem unaware that it is their own hubris that will bring our society crashing down. While I am not a historian, we can learn much from the past by studying the rise and decline of the Roman, Greek, and the British Empires. Even Nazi Germany. They all had their heyday, and they all had their demise. Wake up America: ours is happening right now. We’re on the decline.

I keep wondering whether we can just hold our breath and do damage control in 4 years. A lot of the destruction, I’m afraid, may be irreparable. But rather than falling into deep depression, I am reminded that we can make a difference by banding together. Our protest marches, correspondence with representatives, boycotts and acts of resistance will be heard. Every great historical movement has been marked by cataclysmic social change. The majority, fearing their inevitable loss of power, will double down. We just need to outlast them in our determination for justice.

There…I’m done with my rant. Till next time.