Member-only story
Shutdowns, Shouting, and Staying Human
When outrage is trending
What is the world coming to?
Scroll your feed and it feels like everything is cracked wide open — people shouting past each other, sides being chosen like changing underwear, a government that can’t keep its own lights on. It’s dizzying. Maybe even exhausting.
When the noise is so loud, it’s tempting to either add to it or shut down completely. But there’s another option: to step back, breathe, and choose your stance. Not in the sense of taking a side — but in choosing how you want to live while the world shakes.
Because here’s the thing: storms pass. Shutdowns end. Leaders come and go. What remains is how you’ve treated your neighbor, how you’ve tended to your small corner of the world, and how you’ve protected yourself and those you love during the chaos.
Maybe the real act of rebellion is staying kind when outrage is trending. Or paying attention to what’s beautiful while headlines are ugly. Or refusing to let algorithms tell you who the enemy is.
So no, I don’t have a list of “5 steps to survive a shutdown.” I just know this: Even when it feels like the world is ending, we remain. Still standing. Still choosing. Still finding our way.
