My Thoughts On The Election.

I've been writing a daily journal post for nearly 300 days straight, but I've never weighed in on the Presidential Election.?

Why? I don't want to feed in to the insanity.?

Yes, it's insane how many people are actually losing their minds over this election.?

I first witnessed the obsession when George W. Bush was running for President.?

At that time (2000), I was in my early 20's and spending a lot of time with people who mostly voted Democrat, and most (not all) thought the world was going to end if he got elected. ?Seriously, I watched them totally lose their shit when he won.

Turns out the world didn't end.?

Then came Barack Obama, and this time, I was around a lot of people who normally vote Republican, and boy, were they freaked out.?

But the world kept on turning, and they not might have liked a lot of his policies, but America survived just fine.?

Next came Donald Trump, and I watched people lose their shit on a whole new level that I didn't think was possible. But it happened.

The next election with Joe Biden vs Donald Trump was so divisive, with both sides fearing the end of America as we know it if the "other guy" won. Then the contested results, the lead up to Jan 6th, was a shocking ending to the whole ordeal.

Now, here we are again. America is still here, and even with our million+ faults, we are still arguably the best country to call home for our rights, privileges, and the opportunities we have. ?

What is sad is how we've turned so against each other.?

Most of the division is fueled by the media we have via TV, Radio, Podcasts, and Social Media.?

Our free speech should be protected, but we should understand that it can and has been used to divide.?

There is a reason why news channels and newspapers for decades mostly led with bad news versus good news. ?

Because bad, concerning, frightful news gets more attention, more clicks, more eyeballs, and therefore more revenue. ?

People who create any kind of media... those who support Trump will only share and talk about the worst, most damaging news they can find about Biden, and now Harris.?

The same goes with Harris supporters, they're only going to report and share the craziest, most divisive information about Trump.

I'm not saying this is wrong.?

I'm saying humans are easily influenced by what we watch, hear, and consume.?

This is why I don't watch news on television, nor the radio, and I'm pretty picky which podcasts and YouTube channels I consume, and I totally ignore all I see on the internet and social media. ?

Which truthfully, has me in the dark about some things.?

The exception is right before election day.

I will dig in on a much higher level then to decide how I will cast my vote.?

This morning when I did vote, it felt good, because it's a privilege to have a say, no matter how small and insignificant it might feel sometimes. ?

Tomorrow, I'll find out who won.?

I'm not stressed about it, because there is nothing "other than casting my vote" that I can do to change the outcome.?

I instictively know, no matter who wins, the world will keep on spinning, and America will survive, like it always does.?

In 4 years, we get to vote again for our next president, and the cycle will continue. ?

I think it's awesome when Americans are passionate about a candidate, it's kind-of-like when I see friends passionate about their favorite sports team...

True fans cheer loud and proud, and sometimes their team wins, sometimes they lose, and sometimes a loss is extra painful if the game was close, or they felt like there was a bad call that impacted the game. But no matter what happens, there is always another season to cheer for.

And once the game is over, there is really no useful, productive reason to stay nasty with the opposite team. They are people, just like us, who have families, who have fears, and are just trying to get by, as we all are. ?

That was my favorite part about playing rugby, which is one of the most brutal sports in the world, and when you play the game, it feels like life and death.

But once the game is over, it's common practice to have a "Social" where both teams come together and celebrate a hard-fought game, shake hands, toast, and laugh about the craziest parts of the match. ?

That's my hope for America.?

That no matter who wins tonight, we can come back together, and laugh, cry, and move on with our lives... and then next season... we can get loud and proud, again supporting our team.

Good Night Friends,

Mike T.

Journaling Streak - 298