I Don't Know about Trump

I don't know if 4 years of Trump as President would ultimately be a bad thing.  With the chaotic and complex (in both colloquial and technical terms) interaction of global influences, from economics to social (and mainstream) media to global relations to mass cultural movement, no one can say.  Calamity often aligns enemies against a common foe or congeal the bonds of alliance between loose associates, and can result in long term betterment.  The energy crisis of the 70s gave us a head-start on development of alternative energies, the atomic bomb may have ended WWII earlier and prevented deaths (we don't know because in one-off events, there is rarely any reliable control (in the scientific sense) to compare the alternatives timelines.  Some of the most interesting fiction involves exploring what happens on different timelines.  Because we KNOW we don't know what will happen.

As much as I value and respect integrity, compassion, wisdom, competence and strength (the opposite of Trump), I cannot pretend to know for sure that putting a narcissistic, stunted intelligence in office wouldn't ultimately strengthen this country -- much like surviving cancer, or the loss of a limb or loved one, or vicious attack by evil, can deepen the character of an individual.  It's possible the disaster of Trump could result in a wiser and maturer nation after the deluge.  And, as much as I despise the power wielded by bullies and musclemen and as much havoc as the wreak upon their world, there is power, as evidenced by Trumps affluence. And it can be used for good or evil, which often depends on the side you're on.  And again, it can often catalyze the forces of good for a future net-gain.

I would never support or vote for a "Trump," and I will do what I can to relegate his brand of small-mindedness to the trash heap of history, but I don't know -- and either do you -- whether in the long run, Trump might not finally wake our country up to more active involvement toward building the best America and Earth we can envision.  I don't believe holding signs and shouting is going to change a lot minds.  Deeper discussions with each other about what we want as a nation and how we might accomplish it among more and more people over time, might.  Getting together to plan real involvement in the (gag) political process, as cringe-worthy as that thought is to me, could make a difference in a year or so.

On a related note: we get what we deserve by our apathy.  When those with whom Trump resonates, the insecure and afraid and xenophobic and prepubescent minded are finally excited to join the cause, their opposites can either get up or shut up.  If you're too busy basking in your middle-class, educated glory (rut?) to work to motivate your like-minded citizens, you deserve whatever dregs the true believers hoist up the flag-pole.  It's the desperate who are seeking the huge change (and rightly so).  But when they're not given a rational (if a little jarring) option for change, they'll go with the crackiest of crack-pots.

[Here's where you crank "Get Up" by the Kinks on your loudest sound system]

Real Service As One Tool To Ease Depression/Anxiety

I know there's no magic pill to make depression go away.  I know it's a multi-pronged approach, and different causes will require different interventions.  But I do know that some people are prone to get all up in their own heads which spools up into anxiety and mental trouble of all sorts, including narcissism.

Getting significantly involved in the service of less fortunate or helping others in need, like seniors, homeless, single mothers, sick children, or abused animals, to name a few, does a few things.

1.  Active engagement takes a person out of their own head and into the activity of service
2. Working with the needy helps provide perspective to our own problems
3. The social aspect of working with others exposes us to co-volunteers (usually a pretty positive lot), and those who we serve.

Along with the counsel of a healthcare professional, good exercise/diet/sleep, and a review of substance use (prescription drugs and self-medicating),

Oh, and along the way, you're helping the world be a better place.  Making your neighbor's life a little better is, perhaps, the noblest endeavor.