Time to Step Back and Breathe

We need to give ourselves a chance to let this all settle in, with our eyes wide open.

That’s where I am this morning. Maybe you are too. It has been a long, loud stretch. Months of being told what to fear and who to blame. Then the vote came, and the people spoke loud enough that nobody could pretend they didn’t hear it.

Both houses of Congress changed hands. That does not happen by accident. It happens when enough ordinary folks decide they have seen enough. They got up, they went out, and they made their mark. That is a win, and it deserves to be called one.

But a win is not the end of anything. It is a place to stand. And right now a lot of people are standing there, catching their breath. They are stepping back and watching to see how the chips fall.

I don’t blame them one bit. You can only hold your breath so long. Sooner or later the body says enough, and you have to let the air out and take a fresh one in. That is not weakness. That is how a person stays in the fight for the long haul.

The holidays are almost on us. Thanksgiving is a few weeks off. Lights are already going up on a house or two down the street. This is the time of year we are supposed to slow down and count what we have.

But this year the holidays come muted. There is trash talk in the air and a heavy dose of uncertainty. People are glad, but they are careful about being glad. They are smiling with one eye on the door.

And there is good reason for that. The folks who lost are not going quietly. You can hear it in how they talk. They are not talking about working together. According to news reports, the new man running the White House has said they need to be more aggressive now that the other side holds Congress, not less.

That tells you something. When people feel their grip slipping, they don’t always let go. Sometimes they squeeze harder. A cornered animal is at its most dangerous right before it understands the corner is real.

So this is not a time to fall asleep. It is a time to rest without closing your eyes. There is a difference, and it matters.

Stepping back is not quitting. It is getting your feet under you. A tired mind makes poor choices. It jumps at every shadow and swings at every noise. A rested mind sees clearer. It can tell the real threat from the bluster.

So breathe. Sit at the table with your family. Pass the potatoes. Laugh at the old stories you have heard a hundred times. Let yourself enjoy what the people did together. You earned that.

But keep your eyes wide open while you do it.

What does that mean? It does not mean living in fear. Fear is just another way of letting them run your life. Eyes wide open means watching. It means paying attention to what is said and what is done, and noticing when the two do not match.

These folks have not been shy about what they want. They say it out loud, in front of cameras, over and over. Some people think that is foolish. Maybe it is. Or maybe they want us so used to hearing it that when the day comes, it sounds normal.

Don’t let it sound normal. That is your job right now. When something is wrong, call it wrong, even if you have heard it a hundred times. Repetition does not make a thing right. It only makes it familiar.

There is an old saying a lot of us grew up with. Be prepared. It is simple, and it still holds. Being prepared does not mean stockpiling anger. It means being ready. Know your rights. Know who represents you, and know how to reach them. Know what they promised and watch whether they keep it.

The good news is that the guardrails are holding. Judges have stepped in when lines were crossed. The vote just moved power back toward the people. Men and women in uniform know the oath they took is to the Constitution, not to any one man. Those things hold because people stand behind them.

That is the part that never changes. No law, no court and no oath works on its own. They work because ordinary people expect them to work and speak up when they don’t. That has always been the backbone of this country, and it is still there.

So take your breath. Hug your people. Eat the turkey. Watch the game. Sleep in on a cold morning if you can. Give yourself the gift of a little quiet.

Then, when the dishes are done, look back out the window. The work is not over. It never is. But we earned the right to rest a minute before it starts again.

Step back. Breathe. Eyes wide open.

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This post was drafted with AI governed assistance and reviewed and directed by Michael S. Faust Sr. before publication.

” Attic Thoughts”-library – Intelligent People Assume Nothing