Songs That I Wish Weren't Still Relevant: Seriously, What's Going On?!

I woke up on Wednesday, November 9th, after getting roughly two hours of restless sleep with a hope in my heart that was quickly dashed with just two words, "He won." That was literally the worst thing my husband has ever said to me. Which, I guess makes me lucky in some ways?

I stumbled out of bed, fed my dogs, hugged and kissed them, poured myself a glass of orange juice, and then ugly cried into it for the next two hours. Like at least three million other people, I just couldn't believe what had happened. Was I ever going to be able to use Facebook again without having a meltdown? What's going to happen if the Department of Education is dismantled? Was marriage equality going to be repealed? Was self-tanner going to be government subsidized or even mandatory?

Now, maybe it's because I spent most of teenage years not getting enough sleep because I was up watching MTV late into the night, but I tend to think in song. And the first song that popped into my head so perfectly summed up my shock and disbelief it was almost cathartic.

Everything that I was feeling was so perfectly encapsulated.  It literally asked the question "What's going on?"

4 Non Blonde's "What's Up" asks the question, that as time passes, I'm realizing is exactly the question we need to ask ourselves every time we wake up to horrifying news. As an added bonus, if you turn it up really loud and sing along it serves as a kind of primal scream therapy. Try it. Your neighbors can thank me later.

Joking aside, we can not let this become the new normal in America. Executive orders that prohibit scientific government agencies from communicating with the public, a backdoor ban on Muslim and refugee immigration, and an executive order that fast-tracks the Dakota Access Pipeline should not be normal. And that's not even the shortlist of horrifying things that have happened this week. We'll save those for other posts. The powers that be are counting on our complacency and waiting for us to get bored, distracted, or just used to the state of things. Everyday that I wake up to hatred, ignorance, or incompetency is another day to question the state of things.

If you too are wondering what exactly is going on, there are steps you can take. There is a petition on the whitehouse.gov to ungag the EPA. And while you're there check out the other petitions and sign those, too, if you feel so inclined.

Also, call or write your Senators and Representatives. Voice your concerns. Let them know that this is not the America that represents you and your values.

And finally, if you see or hear something that screams #thisisnotnormal say something! It is imperative that we don't become complacent. As it stands, there's a good chance we're going to have at least two years of #thisisnotnormal policy. If we're going to get through this, we need to stick together. We need to protect and give hope to those most vulnerable. We have to pick up the slack where leadership is failing us.

Just remember: THIS. IS. NOT. NORMAL. And it never should be.

And now back to serenading my dogs...

AND I SAY HEY YEAH, YEAH, YEAH...