Every day you wake up the world is a different place. This week, the world made a dramatic shift. The country we call home elected a person who has fanned the flames of racism, misogyny, and hatred. Whatever happens now, we will have to deal with the repercussions, and many of those repercussions will affect the people we love — our family, our friends, our coworkers, our neighbors, our fellow citizens.
In the wake of this election outcome there have already been reports of violence and hatred towards the most vulnerable in our society. The very people demonized by so many as being “the problem” or “not like us” or needing to “go home.” I saddens me to read the stories, to see the pictures of racial slurs painted on the homes and schools. It hurts to know that there are people who now feel empowered to act on their hate without fear of rebuke. It is painful to come to grips with the fact that those who rallied around making our country “Great Again” think that greatness lies within their own skin color and not with the beautiful diversity of people, ideas, and faiths that has been a beacon to so many.
I do not know what the best path forward is, but I do know one thing.
If you are in need, then I am here for you.
I will be there to offer you a shoulder to cry on. An embrace to give you warmth and solace.
I will give you shelter if you need it. You are always welcome in my home.
I will lend my skills to help you when you ask, and if it is not enough I will give you my network for they are better than me.
I will give you my support. Know that you are never alone.
I will give you my friendship, my respect, and my love.
I will be there to hold your hand. Today, tomorrow, and all the days that follow.
I listen to a lot of goofy podcasts, and one of those is hosted by three amazing brothers. Those men fill my ears with jokes and laughter every week, and for that I have always been grateful.
Wednesday morning I woke up to check Twitter and a special message was there. Travis McElroy posted a short 8-min audio clip that brought tears to my eyes, and warmth to my heart. I’ve been thinking about it ever since and wanted to share the same sentiment he so beautifully expressed.
You can listen to his message, or read the transcript, below. I’ve listened to it a few times, read it more than once, and still it speaks to me. I hope it speaks to you too.
If you’re moved by this, even a little, consider purchasing one of the many I Am Holding Your Hand buttons designed by some amazing people who were moved as well. Proceeds go to the ACLU.
I recorded a quick 8 minute message for you today. I don’t know if it will help, but I don’t want you to feel alone: http://bit.ly/firesidechat1
— Travis McElroy (Self Parody) (@travismcelroy), November 9, 2016
Good morning. If you’re like me you woke up this morning feeling lost. Feeling unsure of what the future holds. There are probably some of you out there that woke up this morning feeling justifiably terrified. Last night we suffered a loss, and I don’t mean the election. I don’t mean that we lost the race. I feel, and I don’t want to speak for you, but I woke up this morning feeling like I had lost someone or something very precious to me. I felt like I had woken up this morning and that feeling that I always fell back to when I worried about what was happening in the country. This feeling of no matter how bad or scary it got, that at its core America was still kind was still good, but it was just scared. And I think a lot of us were relying on that in the election season. Yes things are scary. And yes there was a potential for things to break very bad.
But at the end of the day people are good and good things would happen. And that is not how it played out. And the only comfort I can give you is I’ve lost people before, and the morning after a loss like that you wake up and you just don’t know how you’re going to put one foot in front of the other. You don’t know how you’re going to keep moving forward because there just seems like so much ahead of you. So much negative time that you’re going to have to wade through. But the answer is one step at a time. Just take it moment by moment. And you know what? I’m not going to sit here and tell you everything is going to be OK. I thought about doing it that, but at the end of the day I don’t know.
There’s a lot to be scared of, especially if you are not like me — a straight white cis gender male — there’s a lot to be afraid of, and there’s a lot of bad that can happen, and a lot of hurt, and a lot of cruelty that could happen. So I’m not going to sit here and tell you that everything is going to be OK.
But I will tell you that I will be there.
I don’t know how much I can do. I don’t know how much I can help. But you’re not alone.
And I’m sure there are other people out there that feel the same way because as a straight white cis gender male I’m not under the same direct threats that you are. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t stand beside you, or in front of you if I can, because you are my friends and you are my family. And when my friends and family are threatened I don’t run away, and I think a lot of people feel that way.
And so I think rather than tell you everything’s going to be OK I think the message I can tell you with certainty is that you are not alone. I think it’s perfectly understandable to wake up this morning and feel very alone, and feel like your country and the citizens of your country have betrayed you. And maybe are listening to this and you’re not even an American and you feel like the world has betrayed you, you feel like America has betrayed you, and I think it’s perfectly justifiable to feel that way.
Not too long ago on an episode of one of my shows. I got upset at people talking about moving to Canada if Donald Trump won the election and talking about that it was unpatriotic and you got to love your country no matter what, and that was shortsighted. Last night around midnight I definitely understood that feeling.
And not because I wanted to flee the country out of fear. I definitely understand why some people would feel that way, and I think that I think that’s justifiable, but for me it was more… I was just so disappointed and I didn’t know how I could go on being a part of a country that would endorse such a vile hatred.
So I don’t know what the future holds.
I don’t know what the next month holds, the next week, the next day, or the next four years.
But, you know when I get really anxious or really scared or really nervous I hold Teresa’s hands. And just knowing that there is another human being, that there is the warmth, the contact, it makes me feel better. And I imagine that some of you out there don’t have the luxury of that, don’t have someone’s hand hold.
So just know that wherever you are and whoever you are I am holding your hands.
I’m with you. Anything I can do to help. Let me know.
And the only piece of advice I can give is if you woke up this morning like me feeling just lost and aimless, and not sure how to cope with this the best advice I can give you is action is the best way to combat that.
Now I’m not talking about like a letter writing campaign or running for office in your home state. I mean if you want to do those things by all means I heavily endorse you doing that. I just mean maybe this is a good time to tell someone you love them or go on social media and say something nice, or just do something nice for yourself. You know go to your favorite restaurant and have your favorite meal, and just don’t think about this for a couple of minutes. Or you know just sit down and watch your favorite movie, or you know let yourself take a nap, or let yourself worry about it. Don’t don’t try to stop. Don’t stop yourself from experiencing it. Maybe that’s the action you need is you need is to work through it. Feel. Do. Think. Move. Whatever you need to do to take it one step at a time. And just know that you’re not alone.
I love you very much. And I look forward to tomorrow
