There's a woman I admire. Apparently our recent presidential election doesn't leaver her thinking much of me. Writing makes me feel better, so I'm going to write about it now.
First, about this woman. I admire her, and have since I met her. I learned something from her that has served me well about keeping a great attitude toward accomplishments and facing adversity. Anyone who's ever come to her with a problem or negative situation in their lives, she gives the same advice.
"That's too bad, now what are you going to do about it?"
It's brilliant, really. Here's the scenario in practice. Life handed you shit. I get it, but you don't want to stand there holding shit, do you? Of course not! Drop the shit where you won't step in it, and wash your hands! How wonderful is that advice? It's very wonderful. I just wish she'd listen to it herself.
We did not vote for the same presidential candidate. Her candidate lost, and she is demonstrating the vitriolic isolationism for me that is being heaped on so many people who simply expressed their preference for a candidate by voting. We didn't do anything wrong.
Now, following her advice, I have to figure out what to do to move on. That's not as easy as it may seem, since I'm left feeling like I made a mistake, like I did something on purpose to offend her, when the only purposeful thing I did was vote, and that isn't wrong.
My voting decision was not baseless or flippant. I took my time. I became educated. I made my choice. I never tried to steer anyone toward my candidate. I never ridiculed theirs. I did make points clear about both leading candidates on social media. I am a constitutionalist and that's what's fair. Knowledge is the cornerstone of democracy. Spreading correct information isn't wrong.
To make matters more uncomfortable, I will see this woman again. Many more times, in fact. When I see her I will know that she has disdain for me. She blames me for the loss of an election that seemed all but guaranteed to go to her candidate. She will feel her blood pressure rise, thinking about electoral college votes and such. Sorry, I didn't make the system that both candidates campaigned under. I didn't do anything wrong.
In the end... well, there might not be an end. On election night I made dinner for my family and settled in for watching the election returns, sure that my candidate lost. I had already accepted defeat. Her side doesn't seem to have, and they may never. I've been marginalized, negated by the label of a political party. I just hope that someday her side will realize I didn't do anything wrong. I voted, just like she did.
