I am raising the white flag. I give up. I surrender. I see you've done the same.
"Enough politics," says you. "Time to move on."
The old Me would say that, too.
But this is not the same old story that you've seen before. This is not politics as usual. You know this. I know you know this.
I'm not sure what to say to you, though.
My entire world view has been turned on it's head. Some might say that kind of thing after traveling 23 states over the course of three weeks - it's a pretty remarkable voyage. I could say that my view of America is fresh and new, now seeing 10 states I've never visited before on top of the 13 other beauties, and being away from the daily grind for three weeks. One thing was for sure, everyone is so nice!
I have never gone so long without negative human interaction. Honestly - the only negative interactions with humans I had in the course of the entire 7660 drive was when I turned on the radio. Taking photographs of your house, while people of all sorts stared at me, approaching random strangers on the road, in shops, in restaurants, trespassing on private property on the occasion that I needed to get the right angle, in 23 separate states I never had a single negative interaction - not one. It is shocking.
My entire world view has been turned on it's head since my journey: I can't fathom that the places I've been and the people I met support the appointments and actions of the people that have begun to roll into the new White House. We've been duped. I think they've been duped- all the people I met along the way who intended to vote for Trump. I think they don't know they've been duped. I know they don't know it. And that, my dear 10 readers, is my problem.
I build a house of cards on faith that hard work and integrity wins in the end, and that strong leaders were enviable role models. And it angers me that you don't want to at least acknowledge that you know that the world as we have known is over and good things are not coming to the hard-working. I'd rather not bring it up. I don't want to anger you. But know, my friend, that I am angry.
This week it's back to work, back to waking when the baby wakes, back to staying up late to the glow of the computer, brewing my own coffee, cooking meals for the family, morning drop-off at school, dishes, spreadsheets, phone calls. I'm not behind a lens seeking interpretation or meaning. I'm editing, marketing, fundraising, networking, shuttling, cooking - all that and more.
I'm looking through the images captured in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election. I'm going back to my roots of integrity and insight. I'm going back to my humanity. I am surrendering to the faith and kindness of Americans whom, perhaps, just need a good lesson to make it all right again, to make us more united than ever. Oh, how I hope. I surrender. For now.