Though an entire month has passed, there are only a couple things I want to write about: (1) The election from the perspective of an American abroad and (2) the literal month's-worth of coursework I only yesterday finished slogging through.
Diving right in: I'm not a very political person but this election had such a sweeping effect on me that excluding a discussion of it would misrepresent my month and be an injustice to the current state of the United States of America. When I say "sweeping effect" I mean that this election pulled my feet out from under me, battered me over the head with a spiked club, and then swept what was left of me into the corner with the shattered beer bottles and annihilated hopes for the future.
At 11pm GMT on the night of 8 November, I blithely gathered at the Edinburgh Uni student union with friends for a couple drinks and to watch the CNN live stream for a couple hours until Hilary won Florida and North Carolina, after which I'd comfortably go to bed and feel refreshed for lecture at 10am and at least four more years of social, economic, and scientific progress. A couple drinks turned into, "What the f*** is happening?! I need another drink." A couple hours of waiting for results from FL and NC turned into staring, gaping at "too close to call" for four hours until, finally, around 4am, Trump was declared the winner in both FL and NC. By that time the pub we were in was no longer serving alcohol. So I went home to huddle under the covers of my bed and watch the CNN live stream until I could no longer keep my eyes open. I'm not sure what time I fell asleep but at 6:30am I woke up into a nightmare; Trump had just clinched Pennsylvania and a Trump Presidency seemed assured.
I skipped lecture that morning to sleep until 11. But even after a decent amount of sleep I felt drained--physically and emotionally. It literally felt as if someone close to me had just died. And I remember thinking: My country just had. I was told, "I'm so sorry" by more than one of my European colleagues here. All I wanted to do was hide in my room, feeling ashamed to be an American. I was--and still am--scared for the future. But we keep moving forward.
However much the rhetoric and fear-mongering Trump spewed during his campaign has incited the wave of racism, bigotry, and prejudice crashing across the country, I think that, now faced with actually being President, Trump truly wants to do a good job. Yes, I may disagree with the direction Trump seems to be taking the country, judging from many of the people he has appointed to his transition team; but I think he does have America's best interest at heart. The problem is, the America Trump inhabits and the America the rest of us inhabit seem to be two completely different things. Which means that we have to do everything we can to oppose the things that go against the rights, happiness, and safety of EVERY American and push back to preserve the progress that has been made in, to name a few, human rights and sustainable energy. I don't have the answers. But things we all can do are contact local and state representatives, VOTE in upcoming elections (if you're over 18), and--if you are able and willing--donate to organizations that will work to protect the rights of marginalised groups, health of this planet, and futures of our children. Above all, we can LOVE one another and have HOPE for a better tomorrow!
As an American abroad, I'm doing everything I can to spread love, understanding, and friendship in an attempt to represent the country I call home; the country I know deep down is full of kind, caring, and compassionate people. On my quest to paint a better image of Americans than what you might see on the news, I've met so many diverse and wonderful people! Three such people are a couple and their friend, all from Glasgow, who I met during my first week in Edinburgh, waaayyy back in September. I was meeting another friend for drinks and pub quiz and these three were sitting at the table next to us. Their humour was a bit raunchy, the (lesbian) couple was tattooed and pierced to the gills, they smoked about a pack of cigarettes in the three hours we talked to them, and they were about the nicest people you could meet. After a pub quiz question regarding a bit of Edinburgh history, they told us a story from a time when what's now the nice part of Edinburgh was a disease- and thief-ridden slum, poorly maintained and walled off from the rest of the city. This part of town was so poorly maintained buildings would frequently collapse. One such collapse trapped a young boy inside for over two days. The workers were just about to give up any hope of finding survivors when they heard the young boy call out, "Don't stop digging, lads! I'm not dead yet."
I don't know how much or even if any of it is true, but that story has stuck with me. I've had the title for this post in my drafts since that night. I just didn't have any good content to put under it. Until now. The story of that young boy has helped me get through this past month. It gave me hope even when things seemed at their worst. It gives me hope that, no matter how much damage a Trump administration does, no matter how much it seems like the world is collapsing around us, there is hope. You just have to keep digging for the love and kindness that I know is in each and every one of us. It might take a pick axe to shatter ignorance, which could just bring more rubble crashing down around us. But, ultimately, love and hope will triumph in the end. It's that love and hope that has kept me going.
On top of election fallout, I've had a month of coursework to keep me good and stressed. I took it a day at a time. And in moments when it felt overwhelming, I took a breath, looked up from my studies to appreciate where I am--FREAKING AMAZING EDINBURGH! And at times when I felt like I was drowning, I remembered a young boy shouting out for help and told myself to just keep digging. I'm not dead yet. And it'll all be worth it in the end.
However much the rhetoric and fear-mongering Trump spewed during his campaign has incited the wave of racism, bigotry, and prejudice crashing across the country, I think that, now faced with actually being President, Trump truly wants to do a good job. Yes, I may disagree with the direction Trump seems to be taking the country, judging from many of the people he has appointed to his transition team; but I think he does have America's best interest at heart. The problem is, the America Trump inhabits and the America the rest of us inhabit seem to be two completely different things. Which means that we have to do everything we can to oppose the things that go against the rights, happiness, and safety of EVERY American and push back to preserve the progress that has been made in, to name a few, human rights and sustainable energy. I don't have the answers. But things we all can do are contact local and state representatives, VOTE in upcoming elections (if you're over 18), and--if you are able and willing--donate to organizations that will work to protect the rights of marginalised groups, health of this planet, and futures of our children. Above all, we can LOVE one another and have HOPE for a better tomorrow!
As an American abroad, I'm doing everything I can to spread love, understanding, and friendship in an attempt to represent the country I call home; the country I know deep down is full of kind, caring, and compassionate people. On my quest to paint a better image of Americans than what you might see on the news, I've met so many diverse and wonderful people! Three such people are a couple and their friend, all from Glasgow, who I met during my first week in Edinburgh, waaayyy back in September. I was meeting another friend for drinks and pub quiz and these three were sitting at the table next to us. Their humour was a bit raunchy, the (lesbian) couple was tattooed and pierced to the gills, they smoked about a pack of cigarettes in the three hours we talked to them, and they were about the nicest people you could meet. After a pub quiz question regarding a bit of Edinburgh history, they told us a story from a time when what's now the nice part of Edinburgh was a disease- and thief-ridden slum, poorly maintained and walled off from the rest of the city. This part of town was so poorly maintained buildings would frequently collapse. One such collapse trapped a young boy inside for over two days. The workers were just about to give up any hope of finding survivors when they heard the young boy call out, "Don't stop digging, lads! I'm not dead yet."
I don't know how much or even if any of it is true, but that story has stuck with me. I've had the title for this post in my drafts since that night. I just didn't have any good content to put under it. Until now. The story of that young boy has helped me get through this past month. It gave me hope even when things seemed at their worst. It gives me hope that, no matter how much damage a Trump administration does, no matter how much it seems like the world is collapsing around us, there is hope. You just have to keep digging for the love and kindness that I know is in each and every one of us. It might take a pick axe to shatter ignorance, which could just bring more rubble crashing down around us. But, ultimately, love and hope will triumph in the end. It's that love and hope that has kept me going.
On top of election fallout, I've had a month of coursework to keep me good and stressed. I took it a day at a time. And in moments when it felt overwhelming, I took a breath, looked up from my studies to appreciate where I am--FREAKING AMAZING EDINBURGH! And at times when I felt like I was drowning, I remembered a young boy shouting out for help and told myself to just keep digging. I'm not dead yet. And it'll all be worth it in the end.
Well, this post has gone on long enough. And even though it's no longer Thanksgiving here, it still is where many of you will be reading this. So Happy Thanksgiving! Take today and every day to be thankful for the opportunities and people in your life. Be merry! Be safe! LOVE! And don't stop digging.
Stay informed. -NLD
Stay informed. -NLD
