New abnormal normals

Before I saw my therapist two weeks after the election, I updated a "how are you doing" survey. There's always one question to the end that asks if you're worried that something terrible is going to happen.

I normally give some thought to most of the questions on these surveys, take each one seriously even when it's very unlikely. But despite my fatalism with respect to climate change, this is one question I know I'll answer "never" to. This week, it was different. I honestly don't know what this second Trump administration will be like, but I think a reasonable person must consider the possibility that it will be terrible. Even if you think deporting 10-20 million immigrants will be a good thing, everyone in the country would be touched by the trauma of the experience. So even if you hope that Trump doesn't follow through with his promises, the possibility still has to be considered.

What does a country look like with the GOP in control of the executive branch, both houses of the legislature, and apparently the judiciary? There was nothing normal about the first Trump administration, but as bad as it was, his 2024 campaign made it almost feel quaint by comparison. I fully expect his second administration to be even more egregious.

Trumps cabinet nominations (and other similar things) look really bad. If it's this bad now, it will get worse after January 20.

So how to you live with something like this? Even if you aren't willing to accept the things this administration will do or not (I hope most people will resist what they're up to), there's still a need to figure out how to live with it. A lot of people handled Trump and the pandemic by drinking a lot. Many more people started seeing therapists. Many people ended up in a bad place.

This time, it seems like a lot of people have chosen not to dive into the media. Whether that's a temporary situation in the period before inauguration, or whether people have decided to permanently disconnect is hard to say. While I obviously hope people don't simply acquiesce, it's hard to blame people who choose to withdraw and try to avoid engaging. You can say it's an expression of privilege, and it absolutely is, there are people who will need to protect their mental health.

So what happens? What will the normal be in these truly abnormal times?