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Finding Calm Amidst the Chaos
Terror, distress, exuberance, strength, hope. How to deal with the relentless emotional turmoil of these days
No Kings Day celebrations were the culmination. Marches and protests of millions of Americans throughout the country were an explosion of the emotions compressed into our national pressure cooker , as if someone had suddenly flung open the release valve.
Like countless others, I felt better afterwards.
But within hours, the firehose of bad news was back on: political violence, discouraging court decisions, indiscriminate ICE raids, the cruelty and inhumanity a majority of the country wants to see end. The pressure is already beginning to build again. Which may be a good thing for the country, since it seems nothing but public outcry will save our democracy. But what about us cogs in the wheel? We, the little people?
Many recover with the help of music and art, visits with friends, and immersion in a good book. I use all of the above. But I find solace, plus instantaneous comfort and joy, in the urban landscape. Mother Nature busies herself in the midst of the busiest built environments, the American city.
