The world is a frightening place.
It's scary and deadly and overwhelming.
I'm not here to comment on how awful the tragedies at Dayton and El Paso are or how absurd it is that access to these kinds of weapons is granted at all. While both of these topics are relevant and should be discussed, I'd rather take a moment to reflect on what many of us standing on the outside are coping with right now.
Frustration, for one.
But more than that… fear. Fear that there is no guaranteed safety when we leave our homes. Fear that we could leave our house one morning and never return. Fear that this country may never change—may never be safe.
With the constant newsreels and trending twitter moments, it's natural that our brains form a constant loop of fear, anger, and helplessness. These last few days have been overwhelming, to say the least.
On a personal level, everything I hear—every news story, every conversation, every tweet—has made me more and more anxious. I'm no stranger to the feeling, but as always, it's crippling. Every tweet chips away at my resolve, every news story makes me want to cry, every conversation is painful.
This is our reality. This is the America we live in. It's a frightening place. It's too much.
So please, make sure to give yourself to you. Delete social media as needed. Stop watching the news if you can't bear to hear it. Unplug for a bit. Spend time with the people you love. Breathe.
I know it feels hopeless—like we'll never win this battle. But we will. One day. One day, we won't have to wake up to a headline about another mass shooting. One day, we'll be able to go out without feeling as though we may not return home. One day, we won't hear politicians go on about their thoughts and prayers.
Because this has to change.
