This is by no means a political statement, so please don’t take it that way. I am not taking sides, but merely pointing out how I feel about what’s been going on the past few weeks, months, and even the last couple of years.
I think it’s fair to say that our collective heads are in a spin. And not even just in the U.S. It’s hard to comprehend it all, to be honest.
We are at war with each other on social media on social issues. Our systems are being hacked and used against us. We are calling out specific communities and making policy decisions about them via a single tweet. We are surrounded by chaos at every turn with no leadership pointing us in the right direction or saying that they’ll fix it.
It’s confusing. It’s heartbreaking. It’s sad.
I’m so glad my children are adults now, because I’m not sure I’d know how to explain any of it.
This coming from a dad who had to explain 9/11 to my then very young kids when I suddenly picked them up from school late one morning instead of at the end of that day. That wasn’t an easy one to explain, I can tell you that. And then watching the all-day coverage on the extended Today Show made it even worse. But I figured out a way for their young minds to grasp the issues, on their level.
But I’m not sure I could explain what’s been going on lately. Partly because I’m not sure that I understand it and partly because there are no words to explain the divisiveness, the anger, the exclusion, and the enormous uncertainty.
Thankfully, my children are now young adults, off into the world and starting their careers. While they are witnessing these events just like I am, they are processing them on their own terms.
And they are part of a generation that is more politically engaged than any one before them. They know the issues and they are formulating their own opinions. To be honest I’m starting to look to them to help us change the world we live in. I’m counting on them to try to unite us.
For the first time ever, I’m counting on them instead of the other way around. Thankfully, I don’t have to explain any of it.