Election thoughts and mold

I am so saddened by the results of the United States presidential election. Donald Trump was elected as president and will be the president for the next four years. This is actually terrifying news to me because so many of his statements and actions have been at the detriment of people like me. I think I went into this election with a bit too much confidence. So much of the media that I consume is from like-minded people. So many TikToks that I see and Instagram posts that I like, are in support of my values. I don't watch the news (and I don't want to watch the news) and I don't pursue media that doesn't align with my values. That being said, I try to remain open minded and hear everyone out, but I don't want to get offended and riled up just by scrolling through my phone. I went into this election with the idea that Kamala was going to win. To me it was so clear. She isn't a felon, racist, predator, an old white man, or just an overall horrible human being. I thought that people liked that she was a woman of color and wanted to see her in one of the most powerful positions in America. I guess that was my naivete and young idealism coming out. There are so many people in the United States who have beliefs so different from mine. It's okay, and actually important, that we all have different belief systems but what is a problem is when your systems impede on others' rights. When your beliefs about what is right and wrong mean that others could lose their lives.

One thing that also makes me so scared about Donald Trump becoming president is that he has publicly said that he wants to defund the education system in the United States. An already severely financially struggling institution! As someone who has loved ones working in education, and as someone who sees herself being involved with education systems, this is so scary. Education is so important because it is an investment into future generations. Schools are places for students to learn and grow. The notion that we need to take money away from public schools and invest in private schools is so horrible. Donald Trump has threatened to get rid of the US Department of Education and although every institution is flawed, we need them to help maintain at least some sort of order. If we descend into the private sector only for education, there will be so many repercussions for students. Private schools are not all bad, I will say, but making all schools private will be bad. We need consistent education amongst students so that there are things that every person should know. We need students to have access to quality education no matter their financial status. 

There are a few thoughts that I have had that really scare me. 1) The majority of those who voted chose someone who does not respect the majority of the population of the United States. The majority of voters chose Donald Trump, whatever their reasons were for choosing him, in spite of everything horrible that he believes, supports, and is. The majority supports Donald Trump. 2) The second thought that really scares me, that I know others have also had, is at least now we do not have to worry about a civil war or any large violent situations. If Kamala Harris won, I would almost expect another January 6th insurrection or something even worse. Even though there are millions who are upset about Trump winning, there will not be any violent actions because supporters of Harris' ideals will not turn to violence. This thought really scared me because the new president of the United States has the influence to sway people to be violent on his behalf. And his constituents can and have done horrible things.

In all honesty, his influence as President is not limitless, although he may try to make it so, and there are a lot of things that others have control over. Like Colorado created a constitutional right to abortion, voted to protect same sex marriage, and created a tax on firearms and ammunition that will go toward funding schools and mental health programs. Donald Trump can do a lot of damage in his role, but the government moves slowly, and especially at his ripe age of 78, things will move slowly hopefully. This election also gives us the opportunity to come together as communities to exercise our rights and learn what the federal government can and cannot do. All hope is not lost, but there is sadness and despair right now. It is okay to be disappointed, sad, and scared but we must not stay there for too long. I am anxious to see what is to come. 

Woof, after all that here is the regularly scheduled update. My time in La Fortuna is coming to an end. I am both sad and excited to leave because I like the routine that I have made here and the comfort that I have. I am also excited to go somewhere new and do some more exploring. I have been working quite a bit this week and I also discovered mold growing on my bags! I had both of them against a wooden shelf structure and it is so humid here that I am not really surprised. The woman who runs the property cleaned both of my bags and also cleaned the entire area so there is no longer any mold. That was not ideal but at least it is all taken care of. Tomorrow is my last full day in La Fortuna, so I plan to do some of my favorite things and enjoy it! Below is a picture of my duffle bag with the mold!