Trying to Stay Calm

 It's election day here in the US.  Many of us have already voted (mail in or early voting was available), but if you haven't and are eligible, get your butt to the polls and complete your civic duty.  It is one of the greatest privileges we  have; so don't throw it away.

With that said, this election season (which seems to have been going on FOREVER)  has been pretty crazy, divisive and anxiety inducing.  I don't think I've ever felt as nerve wracked during and election as I am during this one.  And who needs that?

I am of the mind that we all need to cast our vote, let all the votes be counted (and that takes a while...there are a lot of people voting) and when the results are finally in (it won't be tonight folks),  we will  need time to process and move forward.  (That means no matter what the results turn out to be.)  If things don't turn out "our" way, we need to take some time to access what that means for each of us and then move forward.  The wonderful thing about the privilege of voting is that we have the ability to elect our leaders every several years (depending on the term of the position).  It is something we cannot and should not take for granted.  We each have a voice and it needs to be heard with our vote.

With all that said, the craziness has definitely gotten to me and I personally have decided that I need to tune out all the "noise" that will be going on.  While I can't tune out the "noise" of the day to day (like work), I can try to focus on calm...when I can.

I know my plans for this evening include a glass of wine, a hot shower and a climb into bed where I will watch something funny and/or mindless.  No news.  No drama.  (Even though some of my favorite shows are dramas.)  I plan an evening of sitcoms and/or rom-coms.  It may be I Love Lucy,  The Love Boat or Airplane.  Or it may be something else.  But no drama and no news.

And if that's not possible, I'll take a look at some of the photos I have taken recently while hiking.  (In honestly my hiking is really walking with some minor terrain  challenges.)  Just this past Sunday, I went on a new path (yes, I went somewhere that wasn't Skytop).  It was a cool, but beautiful afternoon.  The path was relatively easy (my challenges were tree roots and rocks) and a good way to "get out of my head".  If you need to get out of your head right now, here are a few photos.  (I know I'm no photographer, but I just can't resist!)












Note:  There weren't all from a hike.  After I was done, I went to the local library to return a book.  The library wasn't open, but it gave me the chance to walk around and take in the exterior of the building and the landscape that surrounds it.)

Whatever you need to do today to keep calm, do it!  There is no right or wrong here.  There is only the need for sanity.  Take deep breaths and focus on you.

The chaos and crazy will always be there.  Don't let it overwhelm you today (or any day).  Focus on you.  Be well.  Be rested.

And then we will be ready to face whatever the future may hold.


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