Despite any and all attempts from 2020 (the year that just can never seem to quit) to prevent us from reaching this day, here we are. Election day 2020. I feel compelled to say something, even though I know that everyone probably feels compelled to say something. Perhaps it’s because I’m an anxious talker. Ask anyone who knows me, ya boi knows his way around being long-winded.
I can’t remember an election in recent history that has felt the way that this one does. I remember the sinking feeling of 2016. The elation of 2012. The hope of 2008. But this year has been so unlike any other that it would only be fitting to be an election year. The United States is truly at a tipping point, so what I have to say is this:
Today is not the end of something. No matter who wins (though for numerous reasons I am begging our country to stop the madness that is Donald Trump’s presidency), the fight carries on tomorrow. And the next day. And the next month. And the next years, decades, and lifetimes. If I have learned anything over these past 11 months it’s that complacency leads to destruction. After all the ballots are counted and the ads stop running, we can’t just shift into cruise control. We need to continue pursuing a better, more progressive country. We need to continue learning to love and respect one another. We need to be more inclusive. To understand the power of our language. To do all the seemingly small things that ultimately lead us into being a better human.
It has taken me 31 years to become who I am. I am not proud of who I was before, but I can use that to fuel me to continue living in a way that all people can feel safe and heard and welcome around me. I hope for a lifetime of going “out of my way” to stand up and help others. I hope that I am continuously sacrificing so that I can create a better future for people I may never even meet. I hope to constantly be increasing my capacity for change.
I guess it gives me some peace of mind to know that this election is far from over when the polls close. This is the beginning of a lifetime of advocacy. We don’t get to put the genie back in the bottle now. We have been broken and we need to set the bone before we can heal. That is going to be painful and require a lot of effort, but we have to continue to stay engaged. This election is not the end of something. It’s the beginning of our future.