I have tried to write about the Austin Eagles this week but all I can think about is the USA Eagle and how royally screwed it is. How did a chump like Trump become president. I am truly shocked. Like many people here, I never saw it coming. I love Austin and her people but yesterday was unlike any other day I have experienced. They were no courteous hellos. No one held doors open. All the usual smiles had gone. Each and every gaze was directed at the floor. I like to look people in the eyes but yesterday I looked away as all I could think about was "was it you?". 25% of Austinites voted for Trump. That's not bad of course but that still means that one in four on the street voted his way. How could they do that? The man is an abysmal being. He has nothing going for him. I just don't get it.
Heather and I didn't discuss it the following morning before dropping the kids at school. We just couldn't bear it. I went to the gym. I talked on the phone. I went to work. Wherever I went I heard snippets of conversations about it. I wanted to join in and rant but couldn't bring myself to do it. I overheard a guy quietly utter to his friend "all I could say to my son was that I will go to work today and do my very best and you should try to do the same." One of the trainers at the gym whispered an apology to his portly client that he might be off his game today. There were no outrageous outbursts. We hadn't had the time to be furious. We were all just stunned.
Heather and Kim both cried multiple times yesterday. I frequently found myself checking the news and googling things like "what bad things can Trump do as president" in the hope that some other branch of government will be smarter than the general population and keep the chump in check.
I am unsure what to tell my kids. Heather and I have been very conscientious about allowing our kids to decide what they believe in. It is hard but we believe it's important. We don't push our religious beliefs on them even when they come home from school with questions. Should we not tell them that Trump is bad. He is bad. Of that I am certain. But should I want my children to grow up for the next four years, hopefully not eight, thinking their president is a bad man. What message is that giving them?
Everything is very confusing right now.
I was so certain that he (if God gets an up case H, can we design an even lower case h for Trump?) would lose that I was going to prepare an amusing soccer related image for the blog with photoshop before the election (see image below). Vinnie would be Hilary and Gazza Trump with the heading "just because I can". I am glad I didn't.
If anyone out there has any good ways of getting through this then let me know. Otherwise I shall continue looking at the floor, stumbling around for a while until, well, i don't know when. Maybe four years.
I considered writing an apology to any of my friends who may feel offended by this. I decided not to. I think you can see why.
