The question "Am I doing enough?" is the fast track toward a very slippery slope. We left the US just before the 2024 election and for me to say "I should be within the US borders" leads to "I should attend a march" leads to "I should volunteer to organize" leads to "I should go back to practicing law" and so on until my life is completely upended. I just don't feel like I have enough years left on this earth to devote the remainder to stanching my former neighbors' self-inflicted wound. I can email Congress. I can donate money. I can write on social media. That has to be enough for now, at least for me.
My brothers keep the ship going as you plan. It is one of your rights as a US citizen . As I see what you’re doing to help is more than so many . The protesters are one way to get our message across and I applaud their efforts. We need a much more planned strategy.
Protests are bring to light we don’t like. They are necessary not for trump but for those who sit in congress and other influential people. In my younger I walked with my sisters for the passing the ERA amendment it pass but not without some planted seeds and women are still trying to get equal pay . I walked with Martin Luther King in Chicago. It helped again in saying hey we matter way back then. Unfortunately, we are still pushing on that rock. Some things changed but not enough. I’m fearful we will lose any gains we made for women and blacks alike. I was very active in the rights of the LGBTQ community. I was a president for a community center in Milwaukee we were small but I believe we did make gains in that community.
The above comment was sent without proofing. My mind is not what it used to be. I pushed the wrong button and sent please forgive correct grammar with a few words missing and punctuation. I want to end with do something we are losing ground . I live on Social security I’m so fearful it will be gone. Fear not I have a strong cardboard box sprayed with waterproofing and my go bag. I’ll still find away to help. Stay strong.
Do what YOU need to do to maintain your sanity. And thank you for doing what you do. I can't march or stand on a corner with a sign but I can send emails and money. We do what we can. You're wonderful 😊!
You’re doing something you always dreamt about doing. If you didn’t start your nomadic lifestyle when you did, would you ever have had the courage and strength to do so?
Your voices are still being heard, and I dare say with more reach than many who live where you left.
There will always be critics who think that they know best how you should live your lives.
But you’re the ones that actually live them. You know and feel the benefits, the opportunities, the challenges, the sacrifices, and the consequences that your choices have.
The critics just see two dudes taking pictures of exotic sunsets and choose to voice their envy.
I don't think leaving the US "solves" anything. It is not cowardice as much as childish naïveté to think it does. For good or ill, the United States is still the leader of the free world and its leadership has ripple effects regardless of where we go.
Nor do I think NOT leaving solves anything.
The question to wrestle with is the age-old one: what is to be done?
My whole professional life I have given 10% of my income to charity Even in retirement, I still do. My priorities have changed from individual institutions to groups waging court battles against the plethora of unconstitutional actions. This includes Democracy Forward, the ACLU foundation, Planned Parenthood, the Internet Archive (who host the way back machine to maintain deleted webpages).
Since I am no longer in a position with any degree of power, I can certainly support the heroes who are risking their lives and liberty by aggressively challenging the current administration.
This gets right to the heart of it. Yes, as I noted, we were a bit naive to think leaving "solved the problem," even for us. It's more complicated than that. (But it did give me much-needed physical and psychological distance, which isn't nothing. In retrospect, it was still the right thing for us.)
As always, we carry on, doing the best we can, trying to keep ourselves accountable.
Indeed, the wise thing is to do what we can in our circle of control. We play our part, and move on, leaving others to continue the fight in newer ways. You have spoken and lived words of wisdom! The minor thing I will differ from you on is this: the US is NOT and NEVER has been the leader of the free world. This is a useful myth your leaders have created to justify the wars, corruption, regime change and death they have spread across the world.
Thanks! And I think we do disagree. The US is very flawed and often hypocritical, but rather compare it to some perfect ideal that has never existed, I compare it to every other empire that has ever existed, including China, the USSR, Russia, and the U.K. -- and by the measure, I think it *is* (or was) something different. It did not merely dominate and act selfishly like all those other empires; it has acted in ways that have extended and *shared* its prosperity all around the world. Maybe that's a low bar, but I think it's rather extraordinary.
Anyway, I agree the U.S. has often been a force for evil, but I'd argue it has also been a force for good -- and we've had grateful locals tell us as much all over the world as we've traveled.
Hi Guys - from Belfast, NI - where I am staying with a good friend who is NI-native and a college professor. One of her students, 18 years old, has volunteered to be a counselor at Camp America this summer. She had to go to the American Consulate to get her visa approved ... and bring her phone, iPad, and laptop. They checked her social media posts and emails! What is an 18-year old going to say about Trump except agree he's an eejit! What does that say about our country? What does that say about what we can expect when we try to return home? I was just offered a 3-month housesit in Atlanta with long-term clients. Love them, Atlanta and their dog -but the question is - is it safe to go home?!
Is it safe to go home? Well, we're going back next month for a two-week visit, so that's a question we ask ourselves.
For now, the answer is still yes. As we note in the article, it feels sentiment is turning against Trump making it harder for him to keep pushing the boundaries the way he has.
So, yeah, I think for Americans like yourself, it is safe to go back. But I'd check my social media posts and make sure there's nothing too provocative in case you do come to the attention of border control for some reason.
I say we good for you to travel the world and interfacing with all. I wanted to leave in 2016 but didn’t. I’m still here now and scared. My wife and I live in liberal Marin (as in Pelosi country). We have global viewpoints. We just returned from time in northeastern France. There are right-left tensions globally. We all need to be visible and conversing. The old is new, “first they came for…”
Asking someone “Why didn’t you stay and fight” is a shaming tactic and I don’t have time for those people. First off, what’s the big deal living somewhere nicer? You’re still U.S. citizens and can “fight the good fight” (vote, petition, donate, WRITE) just as easily in Estepona, Spain as the U.S. Secondly, if you choose not to, so what? Like someone else here said, you shouldn’t be obligated to stanch your neighbors’ self-inflicted wounds.
Once we leave this once-great country that its citizens have turned into a crap-hole, we’re done. To paraphrase someone else: we’re not leaving America; America has left us.
I get that sentiment and we all need to deal with it in the way that is best for us. For now, we'll keep trying to push it back on to a more sane, less evil path.
Don’t question yourselves. You did what was right for you, and what thousands of us would like to have been able to do but lacked the wherewithal to fulfill that dream. I’m close to retirement age and see no clear path anymore to be able to retire so my husband and I are stuck here. Keep us living vicariously through your adventures. Please.
We became expats in 2013, living in Panama, Colombia and Spain and missing the first Trump years. We returned to the US in 2023 which was the hardest transition of all our moves. So much anger. After the Nov election we moved back to Colombia. I don’t want to fight so I don’t feel bad that we left. Peace and civility is more important
We lived in South Africa for 16 years, voted in every election. I was always a US citizen, my husband had always been a British citizen. We returned to the US to be closer to our grandchildren and just in time to make that choice seem foolish and badly timed. Our grown children are now looking into their British citizenship. I never stopped being a US citizen while abroad, and felt strongly that my mission was to represent the vast amount of citizens like me who cheered wildly when Obama was elected and apologized with embarrassment when Trump was elected. I felt I needed to represent those fellow US citizens by being thoughtful, considerate, compassionate, and respectful. This is your mission too. Carry on.
Thanks, WATSIT. I think those are great points about representing while abroad. The idea that there is one size fits all approach for everyone is pretty much impossible.
You have nothing to be ashamed of, and I'm glad to see you aren't. Think of the millions of Americans who do nothing yet want something done. And if they don't get what they want done, they'll either vote against their own best interests or won't vote at all. That's not us.
By writing here you've joined the cause, and I'm grateful. This is activism at its best. You've joined a community of others who see what you see and can't rest until we've done what we can. In your case--and mine--we write. Writers have been known to change the course of societies simply by making people think. Words did that. Nothing but words.
Think Solzhenitsyn, Upton Sinclair, Steinbeck, Rachel Carson, James Baldwin. They brought attention to abuses in such a way that change became conceivable, if not inevitable. There will always be those who think we're wrong. We can't worry about them. This is what we've witnessed, and this is how we report it.
It is so very very true, Ramona. I am my words, my words are me. Others may disagree, and if they're respectful, I welcome the debate. But I will not stop speaking.
Everyone gets to decide. I feel many days like I am not doing “enough “
And yet I know my calls, participation in protests, donations are more than many of my peers. I also have elderly parents and grandchildren that need my time and energy. We all have but one life to live. I think speaking out consistently really matters, and you do that.
Same. I felt like a quitter in some rooms - like I owed it to my country to stay and suffer. But then Trump got re-elected and we took it as our cue to moonwalk out. Sanity first, slogans later. Wrote about it here if you’re collecting ‘we left too’ stories:
Ha! Same here - if there’s a generation defined by roller rink drama and Michael Jackson moves, we’re it. Honestly, half my exits in life have been silent moonwalks. Glad that line landed!
Go forth ~ travel on! Keep being the amazing ambassadors you are, everywhere you travel ~ showing others around the world how good, kind, thoughtful Americans can be. Please dispel the notion that we are ALL maggot supporters.
I can see no cowardice in any of your actions, and you have been speaking out clearly and unequivocally on many important topics; you have been taking a firm stance on freedom, democracy and universal rights. Your posts have made me think and reflect on a variety of issues, and you would not have been able to share all of these insights had you stayed in the US. I appreciate the opportunities to participate in your travels and your reflections, so your choice has definitely been a win for all of us. Happy nomading (and a safe trip back to the US next month).
It's inspiring to see your unwavering commitment to living authentically amidst the current global climate.
As contemporaries from neighboring countries – you in the US, me in Canada – the border's significance feels different now. Having likely both been politically engaged for years, I say to those who criticize your life choices: if everyone had contributed half as much as we have (including navigating the AIDS crisis), the US and the world would be in a far better state.
Canadians might seem passive, but as recent elections show, we react strongly when certain lines are crossed. This is why we legalized equal marriage a decade before the US and don't face ongoing battles to defend it.
We aren't "tolerant"; we are firm. The idea of "gay Republicans" strikes many of us as absurd. In Canada, LGBTQ+ individuals who publicly support parties undermining our rights face immediate and intense social repercussions. Harsh? Absolutely. We take human rights seriously and reject hate speech disguised as free speech, recognizing its damage to our society.
Regarding your decision to leave the US, I ask those who stay: what are you fighting for? The US's decline in various areas makes the struggle seem futile, lacking a clear national mission or values.
At 63, with perhaps 20 years ahead, and not believing in an afterlife, I want to enjoy my remaining time despite global challenges. I no longer want to spend it fighting, especially when my own country seems to have lost its moral compass, regardless of who's in power.
Does this mean giving up? No. I continue to speak my mind and strive to be a good person, believing that greater care for each other is the answer. We can embody this wherever we are, across all divides. Solutions exist within our communities.
Feeling disillusioned by the new US government's global threats, I'm unsure of what to do on a large scale. However, I can make small daily choices to "Be The Change You Want to See in the World"—my New Year's mantra.
Aspiring to be a decent human being has a more significant impact than we realize. Perfection is unattainable, but progress isn't.
Your posts reflect this ethos – living authentically while considering your impact on others.
It's particularly meaningful that you, coming from a country causing global distress, demonstrate the presence of decent Americans. As a Canadian, I'm deeply disappointed by the US. It feels like a betrayal by a trusted friend. Your posts and energy serve as a reminder that dark forces don't represent the majority of people worldwide.
Our hope lies in finding our communities, staying connected, and collectively forging a path forward. Ultimately, even if things worsen, may we look back without feeling our lives were wasted.
I hereby by bestow you the award for the most thoughtful comment of the day -- on a thread full of thoughtful comments.
As I said somewhere else on the comments, America hasn't been invaded by a foreign power -- Americans voted to do this to themselves. (Or abstained from doing anything and thereby letting it happen.) And that makes me feel less like I need to give up the last twenty years of my life trying to finally get them to pay attention.
So I will do what I can without destroying my happiness in the process.
Appreciate all that, Colin. Yes, America is not the country I thought it was. But I too am impressed by the national character of Canadians. I suppose times of crisis show us exactly who we are.
I suspect we all struggle with these issues. They're tough issues! And in the end, we do what we can do, balancing the needs of the greater world with the needs of the self.
I think what upsets me the most about Trump is the celebration of selfishness and ignorance, and some people so deluded that they actually think it is somehow "good." Words fail me.
The question "Am I doing enough?" is the fast track toward a very slippery slope. We left the US just before the 2024 election and for me to say "I should be within the US borders" leads to "I should attend a march" leads to "I should volunteer to organize" leads to "I should go back to practicing law" and so on until my life is completely upended. I just don't feel like I have enough years left on this earth to devote the remainder to stanching my former neighbors' self-inflicted wound. I can email Congress. I can donate money. I can write on social media. That has to be enough for now, at least for me.
We are on the same page.
Yup.
His first term was much more benign than this one. I think we underestimated his craziness and the blind devotion of his followers. It's scary.
My brothers keep the ship going as you plan. It is one of your rights as a US citizen . As I see what you’re doing to help is more than so many . The protesters are one way to get our message across and I applaud their efforts. We need a much more planned strategy.
Protests are bring to light we don’t like. They are necessary not for trump but for those who sit in congress and other influential people. In my younger I walked with my sisters for the passing the ERA amendment it pass but not without some planted seeds and women are still trying to get equal pay . I walked with Martin Luther King in Chicago. It helped again in saying hey we matter way back then. Unfortunately, we are still pushing on that rock. Some things changed but not enough. I’m fearful we will lose any gains we made for women and blacks alike. I was very active in the rights of the LGBTQ community. I was a president for a community center in Milwaukee we were small but I believe we did make gains in that community.
The above comment was sent without proofing. My mind is not what it used to be. I pushed the wrong button and sent please forgive correct grammar with a few words missing and punctuation. I want to end with do something we are losing ground . I live on Social security I’m so fearful it will be gone. Fear not I have a strong cardboard box sprayed with waterproofing and my go bag. I’ll still find away to help. Stay strong.
Thanks for chiming in, Sheila, and for sharing your thoughts. I think they more we all talk and support each other, the better off we will be.
As for the typos, I have accidentally hit send sooooooo many times before I've proofed what I've read it's kind of hilarious at this point!
Do what YOU need to do to maintain your sanity. And thank you for doing what you do. I can't march or stand on a corner with a sign but I can send emails and money. We do what we can. You're wonderful 😊!
Thanks, Reid. 🙏🏻
You’re doing something you always dreamt about doing. If you didn’t start your nomadic lifestyle when you did, would you ever have had the courage and strength to do so?
Your voices are still being heard, and I dare say with more reach than many who live where you left.
There will always be critics who think that they know best how you should live your lives.
But you’re the ones that actually live them. You know and feel the benefits, the opportunities, the challenges, the sacrifices, and the consequences that your choices have.
The critics just see two dudes taking pictures of exotic sunsets and choose to voice their envy.
Haha love this.
Thanks, Paul. I hadn't thought about the larger reach. Neither had our critic. LOL.
I don't think leaving the US "solves" anything. It is not cowardice as much as childish naïveté to think it does. For good or ill, the United States is still the leader of the free world and its leadership has ripple effects regardless of where we go.
Nor do I think NOT leaving solves anything.
The question to wrestle with is the age-old one: what is to be done?
My whole professional life I have given 10% of my income to charity Even in retirement, I still do. My priorities have changed from individual institutions to groups waging court battles against the plethora of unconstitutional actions. This includes Democracy Forward, the ACLU foundation, Planned Parenthood, the Internet Archive (who host the way back machine to maintain deleted webpages).
Since I am no longer in a position with any degree of power, I can certainly support the heroes who are risking their lives and liberty by aggressively challenging the current administration.
Where we are doesn't matter. What we do, does.
This gets right to the heart of it. Yes, as I noted, we were a bit naive to think leaving "solved the problem," even for us. It's more complicated than that. (But it did give me much-needed physical and psychological distance, which isn't nothing. In retrospect, it was still the right thing for us.)
As always, we carry on, doing the best we can, trying to keep ourselves accountable.
Indeed, the wise thing is to do what we can in our circle of control. We play our part, and move on, leaving others to continue the fight in newer ways. You have spoken and lived words of wisdom! The minor thing I will differ from you on is this: the US is NOT and NEVER has been the leader of the free world. This is a useful myth your leaders have created to justify the wars, corruption, regime change and death they have spread across the world.
Thanks! And I think we do disagree. The US is very flawed and often hypocritical, but rather compare it to some perfect ideal that has never existed, I compare it to every other empire that has ever existed, including China, the USSR, Russia, and the U.K. -- and by the measure, I think it *is* (or was) something different. It did not merely dominate and act selfishly like all those other empires; it has acted in ways that have extended and *shared* its prosperity all around the world. Maybe that's a low bar, but I think it's rather extraordinary.
Anyway, I agree the U.S. has often been a force for evil, but I'd argue it has also been a force for good -- and we've had grateful locals tell us as much all over the world as we've traveled.
Hi Guys - from Belfast, NI - where I am staying with a good friend who is NI-native and a college professor. One of her students, 18 years old, has volunteered to be a counselor at Camp America this summer. She had to go to the American Consulate to get her visa approved ... and bring her phone, iPad, and laptop. They checked her social media posts and emails! What is an 18-year old going to say about Trump except agree he's an eejit! What does that say about our country? What does that say about what we can expect when we try to return home? I was just offered a 3-month housesit in Atlanta with long-term clients. Love them, Atlanta and their dog -but the question is - is it safe to go home?!
Terrifying. And I think the fear is the point.
Hey ReAnn,
Is it safe to go home? Well, we're going back next month for a two-week visit, so that's a question we ask ourselves.
For now, the answer is still yes. As we note in the article, it feels sentiment is turning against Trump making it harder for him to keep pushing the boundaries the way he has.
So, yeah, I think for Americans like yourself, it is safe to go back. But I'd check my social media posts and make sure there's nothing too provocative in case you do come to the attention of border control for some reason.
I say we good for you to travel the world and interfacing with all. I wanted to leave in 2016 but didn’t. I’m still here now and scared. My wife and I live in liberal Marin (as in Pelosi country). We have global viewpoints. We just returned from time in northeastern France. There are right-left tensions globally. We all need to be visible and conversing. The old is new, “first they came for…”
Yeah, we know folks in nearby Oakland and everyone is scared...
And you know a couple in Marin too. 😉. Great article!
Asking someone “Why didn’t you stay and fight” is a shaming tactic and I don’t have time for those people. First off, what’s the big deal living somewhere nicer? You’re still U.S. citizens and can “fight the good fight” (vote, petition, donate, WRITE) just as easily in Estepona, Spain as the U.S. Secondly, if you choose not to, so what? Like someone else here said, you shouldn’t be obligated to stanch your neighbors’ self-inflicted wounds.
Once we leave this once-great country that its citizens have turned into a crap-hole, we’re done. To paraphrase someone else: we’re not leaving America; America has left us.
You're right, it is a shaming tactic. And I'm done with those too.
I get that sentiment and we all need to deal with it in the way that is best for us. For now, we'll keep trying to push it back on to a more sane, less evil path.
Don’t question yourselves. You did what was right for you, and what thousands of us would like to have been able to do but lacked the wherewithal to fulfill that dream. I’m close to retirement age and see no clear path anymore to be able to retire so my husband and I are stuck here. Keep us living vicariously through your adventures. Please.
Thanks, Harry. Appreciate the words and love having you come along for the journey.
I'm okay with being challenged and spending time questioning ourselves to make sure we're doing the best we can. Stay safe and happy.
We became expats in 2013, living in Panama, Colombia and Spain and missing the first Trump years. We returned to the US in 2023 which was the hardest transition of all our moves. So much anger. After the Nov election we moved back to Colombia. I don’t want to fight so I don’t feel bad that we left. Peace and civility is more important
I'm glad you found what works for you!
We lived in South Africa for 16 years, voted in every election. I was always a US citizen, my husband had always been a British citizen. We returned to the US to be closer to our grandchildren and just in time to make that choice seem foolish and badly timed. Our grown children are now looking into their British citizenship. I never stopped being a US citizen while abroad, and felt strongly that my mission was to represent the vast amount of citizens like me who cheered wildly when Obama was elected and apologized with embarrassment when Trump was elected. I felt I needed to represent those fellow US citizens by being thoughtful, considerate, compassionate, and respectful. This is your mission too. Carry on.
Thanks, WATSIT. I think those are great points about representing while abroad. The idea that there is one size fits all approach for everyone is pretty much impossible.
I love that you have christened me WATSIT! 😂😂😂😂
My work here is done!
I like this attitude a lot. Weirdly, this whole "Trump" thing has made me appreciate that America *is* (or *sometimes* is. Or was? It's complicated).
The point is, yes, we are still Americans, for better or for worse.
You have nothing to be ashamed of, and I'm glad to see you aren't. Think of the millions of Americans who do nothing yet want something done. And if they don't get what they want done, they'll either vote against their own best interests or won't vote at all. That's not us.
By writing here you've joined the cause, and I'm grateful. This is activism at its best. You've joined a community of others who see what you see and can't rest until we've done what we can. In your case--and mine--we write. Writers have been known to change the course of societies simply by making people think. Words did that. Nothing but words.
Think Solzhenitsyn, Upton Sinclair, Steinbeck, Rachel Carson, James Baldwin. They brought attention to abuses in such a way that change became conceivable, if not inevitable. There will always be those who think we're wrong. We can't worry about them. This is what we've witnessed, and this is how we report it.
And good for us.
I'm so glad you're here on Substack, Ramona, and that our paths crossed. I'd love to meet in person one day.
It is so very very true, Ramona. I am my words, my words are me. Others may disagree, and if they're respectful, I welcome the debate. But I will not stop speaking.
Everyone gets to decide. I feel many days like I am not doing “enough “
And yet I know my calls, participation in protests, donations are more than many of my peers. I also have elderly parents and grandchildren that need my time and energy. We all have but one life to live. I think speaking out consistently really matters, and you do that.
Thank you, Maria.
Thank you. We all do what we can, and we'll continue to do so.
Same. I felt like a quitter in some rooms - like I owed it to my country to stay and suffer. But then Trump got re-elected and we took it as our cue to moonwalk out. Sanity first, slogans later. Wrote about it here if you’re collecting ‘we left too’ stories:
https://thebenthalls.substack.com/p/retired-roaming-and-rooted-welcome?r=5ci1ff
"moonwalk out" made me laugh. LOL
Ha! Same here - if there’s a generation defined by roller rink drama and Michael Jackson moves, we’re it. Honestly, half my exits in life have been silent moonwalks. Glad that line landed!
Go forth ~ travel on! Keep being the amazing ambassadors you are, everywhere you travel ~ showing others around the world how good, kind, thoughtful Americans can be. Please dispel the notion that we are ALL maggot supporters.
Hehehe
Your wish is our command! LOL
I Am a Proud Canadian. ❤️🏳️🌈❤️🇨🇦
Never before have I been so very Grateful for this fact.
Hugs from Canada! 🇨🇦
Stay away! It’s a Dumpster fire 🔥
That is exactly what it is. But I do think it's also united the world!
Hugs, back!
I happily Agree! 🙌😁💕🫂🇨🇦
I can see no cowardice in any of your actions, and you have been speaking out clearly and unequivocally on many important topics; you have been taking a firm stance on freedom, democracy and universal rights. Your posts have made me think and reflect on a variety of issues, and you would not have been able to share all of these insights had you stayed in the US. I appreciate the opportunities to participate in your travels and your reflections, so your choice has definitely been a win for all of us. Happy nomading (and a safe trip back to the US next month).
Thank you very much, Stefanie! Stay safe and stay happy.
It's inspiring to see your unwavering commitment to living authentically amidst the current global climate.
As contemporaries from neighboring countries – you in the US, me in Canada – the border's significance feels different now. Having likely both been politically engaged for years, I say to those who criticize your life choices: if everyone had contributed half as much as we have (including navigating the AIDS crisis), the US and the world would be in a far better state.
Canadians might seem passive, but as recent elections show, we react strongly when certain lines are crossed. This is why we legalized equal marriage a decade before the US and don't face ongoing battles to defend it.
We aren't "tolerant"; we are firm. The idea of "gay Republicans" strikes many of us as absurd. In Canada, LGBTQ+ individuals who publicly support parties undermining our rights face immediate and intense social repercussions. Harsh? Absolutely. We take human rights seriously and reject hate speech disguised as free speech, recognizing its damage to our society.
Regarding your decision to leave the US, I ask those who stay: what are you fighting for? The US's decline in various areas makes the struggle seem futile, lacking a clear national mission or values.
At 63, with perhaps 20 years ahead, and not believing in an afterlife, I want to enjoy my remaining time despite global challenges. I no longer want to spend it fighting, especially when my own country seems to have lost its moral compass, regardless of who's in power.
Does this mean giving up? No. I continue to speak my mind and strive to be a good person, believing that greater care for each other is the answer. We can embody this wherever we are, across all divides. Solutions exist within our communities.
Feeling disillusioned by the new US government's global threats, I'm unsure of what to do on a large scale. However, I can make small daily choices to "Be The Change You Want to See in the World"—my New Year's mantra.
Aspiring to be a decent human being has a more significant impact than we realize. Perfection is unattainable, but progress isn't.
Your posts reflect this ethos – living authentically while considering your impact on others.
It's particularly meaningful that you, coming from a country causing global distress, demonstrate the presence of decent Americans. As a Canadian, I'm deeply disappointed by the US. It feels like a betrayal by a trusted friend. Your posts and energy serve as a reminder that dark forces don't represent the majority of people worldwide.
Our hope lies in finding our communities, staying connected, and collectively forging a path forward. Ultimately, even if things worsen, may we look back without feeling our lives were wasted.
I hereby by bestow you the award for the most thoughtful comment of the day -- on a thread full of thoughtful comments.
As I said somewhere else on the comments, America hasn't been invaded by a foreign power -- Americans voted to do this to themselves. (Or abstained from doing anything and thereby letting it happen.) And that makes me feel less like I need to give up the last twenty years of my life trying to finally get them to pay attention.
So I will do what I can without destroying my happiness in the process.
Appreciate all that, Colin. Yes, America is not the country I thought it was. But I too am impressed by the national character of Canadians. I suppose times of crisis show us exactly who we are.
I suspect we all struggle with these issues. They're tough issues! And in the end, we do what we can do, balancing the needs of the greater world with the needs of the self.
I think what upsets me the most about Trump is the celebration of selfishness and ignorance, and some people so deluded that they actually think it is somehow "good." Words fail me.