Cracked Pot Meditations – Impending Doom & America

Meditation for November 13th, 2016

Impending Doom & America

Donald J. Trump was elected by the Electoral College. If you didn’t vote for Donald J. Trump, then you became upset and might feel the darkness of impending doom. 

Grief comes in different phases: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. 

Denial

It is easy to feel that maybe there has been a huge mistake. Maybe the Electoral College was wrong or if a Facebook petition is turned in to abolish the Electoral College, maybe it will change. 

I mean this is Donald J. Trump. Reality TV star, millionaire who filed bankruptcy, the guy with the idiotic toupee, the pussy grabber! Why would anyone vote for him?

Anger

This has to be someone else’s fault. If only ______________, then the outcome would be different. They didn’t vote, they voted wrong, they should have said this, he shouldn’t have investigated that. Goddamnit. Something needs to be blamed. 

Now I will fight this thing that is oppressing us. I just want to tear down the system. It might have not been corrupt or fishy election, but we need to change it!

Bargaining

Maybe we will see what will happen. Maybe it won’t be that bad. It’ll be fine. Maybe he will see that half of the country is upset and will do the right thing. 

Maybe I’ll move to another country.

Depression 

Four fucking years. Republicans in power of all three branches of the government once Donald J. Trump nominates a Supreme Court judge. Better hope Judge Ruth Ginsburg stays healthy. All the things he said he would do if he won. I’m going to sleep for four years. 

I’m going to watch West Wing over and over again. 

Acceptance

You might never accept the presidency of Donald J. Trump. What can one do to maybe get through the next four years?

There is a prayer that is known mostly as the opening prayer at most Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, 

God, grant me the serenity,

To accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can, 

And the wisdom to know the difference. 

What can a person change? Well if God actually exists, a person would have the wisdom to know already, but God doesn’t, so I will help you. 

Be an example. You can’t win useless arguments on Facebook, but you can be a nice person who is always compassionate, selfless, and of service. 

Be love. 

There is another prayer that is will help guide anyone that needs to know how to change the things you can and not worry about all the things that you have no power over, the Saint Francis prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

 O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

In some ways this all feels different. In other ways this feels like another cycle in human’s shitty history. We can try and change whatever system, but showing love and service to others is the biggest system change a person can make.