8 Glimmers of Hope to Hold On To
Well.
Okay.
A lot of us are going through it today in all kinds of ways.
It's okay not to be okay.
It's okay not to want to laugh. It's also okay to want to laugh. It's okay to want to mobilize and it's okay to want to stay still.
It's okay to want to say screw it, too. But call me Carnie Wilson because I'm here to tell you to hold on. No matter what.
Maybe hope isn't what you're looking for right now; maybe positivity feels like a slap. But know that this list of things to hold on to is out there. It's always out there. Waiting for you.
1. The Senate now has four women of color in it.
Tammy Duckworth, a military veteran and Asian-American woman, reclaimed President Obama's former seat in Illinois. Kamala Harris, a woman of Indian and African-American descent, won a seat in California. And Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada became the country's first Latina senator. Those three join Hawaii's Mazie Hirono, who has served since 2012.
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2. Ilhan Omar became the first Somali-American woman to be elected to the House.
She is also the director of policy for the Women Organizing Women Network, which supports East African women who want to get involved in civic leadership.
3. Michelle Obama isn't going anywhere.
Okay, she's moving but, whatever, her new house is gorgeous. I'm sure you can drop by any time. Michelle will still be in DC; she'll still be in American life. She's still with us.
4. Shade still exists.
Y'all better use that Obamacare to visit your friendly neighborhood optometrist because your side-eye is about to get a workout. Reading as an act of resistance, girl. Get into it.
5. Justin Trudeau
He's just up there in Canada, hanging out, doing yoga, stumbling out of the woods shirtless, winking. Whenever you need him. Having a meh day? Google Justin Trudeau. He's there for you.
He's always there for you.
6. Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart have a television show!
Why is this happening? I don't know. No one knows. Why is any of this happening? Let's just assume that 2016 has a very complex master plan to which none of us are privy.
7. We are already living in an extraordinary moment of artistic and literary expression and activism.
Beyonce's Formation, Solange's A Seat at the Table, the Netflix shows Jessica Jones and Master of None, Kendrick Lamarr's To Pimp A Butterfly, Ta-Nehesi Coates' Between the World and Me, the independent film Moonlight, Hamilton, even the musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend all raised the bar for diverse representation and artistic wokeness this year.
Think of how much more we have coming. Think of how much more we'll be making.
8. Your vote still matters. Your voice still matters.
This is how the millennials voted. Again, the future generation are the ones that have to live with the decisions of the older generation. pic.twitter.com/vYEXjEMWFm
- Rhys (@rhyssycamore) November 9, 2016
It may be hard to believe at the moment but we still live in a representational democracy. People have fought for your right to be heard. People will continue to fight for it. The presidency isn't everything. Join your neighborhood association, volunteer at a non-profit that fights for things you think are important, get involved in your ward, your local government, a religious institution or community center. Your presence makes a difference.
Can I be real a second, y'all? Five years ago I toured the White House with my family. I vividly remember walking the halls of the East Wing and being overwhelmed by seeing images of Barack Obama next to those of John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter. That visit changed me. It changed the way I live my life, it changed the way I saw myself, it changed what I thought was possible. It gave me hope.
Something about that moment prompted me to have the first serious conversation with my family about my sexuality. I was 30 years old, closeted to them, and not living my full life. Now, five years later, I'm newly (and legally) married and I get to write sassy things in on the internet every day. It all started with hope.
That hope remains. It's the belief not in what is, necessarily, but what's possible. What I could be and do in the world.
So, hold on to that, the belief in your value. In your place.
Look into the future and see yourself there. We're in it. We're not going anywhere.
Follow R. Eric Thomas on Twitter.
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