One.
I did not write in this journal yesterday, but I think I have a pretty good excuse. Like most Americans, I was captivated by what was happening in Washington. The word "captivated" isn't accurate. It sounds much too pleasant, like I'm watching a sunrise or taking in a majestic view. I wasn't horrified, either, though - primarily because nothing that happened there yesterday truly surprised me. After four years of a nightmare president, enabled by his party and by a group of outspoken losers, I've found myself tired of being outraged. Instead, I'm fed up and sad. America is deeply broken in a way that I fear may never recover. The only thing left to do is leave the United States without looking back, but with a family, I can't really do that. So what's the solution?
For the last four years, Congress has continued to display their impotence. Rather than renounce the hateful rhetoric four years ago, they chose to ignore it. They chose to remain divided by party lines. Donald Trump's win would have been the perfect opportunity to bridge that gap, to reach across the aisle and say, "We must be united in the face of fascism."
But that did not happen. Instead, they looked the other way as this terrible man cultivated an atmosphere of hate in our country. With their silence, they fed the fire. With their silence, they enabled him. Now they wonder why this happened, how could it have happened. It was because of them, because they chose to do nothing about it. They were too cowardly to go against their party for fear of being black-listed, for fear of being voted out of office.
What I'm asking them now is: was it worth it? Was giving this dictator-for-president free reign to do whatever and say whatever he wanted worth their integrity and dignity?
When Congress reconvened last night, Republicans and Democrats talked about how they needed to come together. They voiced a common theme: how our broken country needed to be repaired. As I listened, I became angrier and angrier. Where the hell were all of you when it mattered? Why weren't you taking action when it counted? Why were so many Republicans so unwilling to say what the rest of us were thinking? Why did you not do anything four years ago when we could have so used a voice of reason within the Republican party?
The American people needed to hear those words from Congress. We needed to see that Congress was actually doing something for us. Instead, Congress has opened the doors for all of the crazies in our country, leaving the rest of us bewildered and frustrated. They have failed us. It's going to take a lot of glue to fix this shattered mess.
Two.
I was texted by my second cousin yesterday. She planned to make a cake for her granddaughter's first birthday and wanted to know if I had ever done anything with fondant. She called. We chatted. She left the conversation with two no-cook recipes for fondant and a little more knowledge than when she'd started. I left the conversation with the dawning realization that the extended family must view me as a baking goddess.
Three.
My husband and I finished "The Untitled Goose Game" last night. The game is silly - you're playing as geese with a hankering for some trouble - but delightful, too. I won't give away too much (as some of my readers may have sensitivities to spoilers), but I will say strutting around town as a goose, looking so fine and regal, was the best ending I've seen in a while.
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