If you are hunkered down in your home, waiting for the all-clear that may take months to come, you may be looking for things to do to pass the time. Like me, you may have found that, due to advancing age, you are no longer able to climb your walls. And certainly, throwing things at Donald Trump on your TV is no longer an option since you can’t go out and replace it.
So, what can you do to relieve your stress, stay relevant, and have some fun? Here are I have a few suggestions:
1. First things first; complete the census. Even if you are completely inebriated, it will take you no more than five minutes to fill it out online.
2. Channel your anger. As you are barraged daily with news about how incompetent our president is and the absence of Republican criticism of the most corrupt administration in history, share your frustrations. Make comments and post relevant articles on your Facebook account.
3. Start using Twitter. If you don’t have a Twitter account, it’s very easy to start one. Just download the Twitter app from the App Store or go to www.twitter.com on your computer and sign up. It’s a great place to let off steam and you can follow others whose opinions you respect and comment on opinions that are at odds with your own.
4. Influence your neighbors and coworkers. Your conservative friends have never been this vulnerable to reason. Unless their favorite article of clothing is a MAGA cap, it’s likely that independents and many Republicans are disillusioned with Trump’s handling of the pandemic. This is a great time for you to reinforce that disillusionment by sharing critical articles written by conservatives like George Conway (husband of Kellyanne), Bret Stevens, David Frum, George Will and Steve Schmidt, among others. Start a conversation by asking “What do you think of the scandal surrounding Richard Burr and his stock trades?” (If they mention Diane Feinstein, her assets are in a blind trust.) Or, “Why do you think Thom Tillis is so quiet about what’s going on with Trump?” Many conservatives need only a slight nudge to become Democratic voters.
5. Write Letters-to-Editors. Set the tone with sadness, irony, humor or, my favorite, sarcasm. Even though you may be angry, don’t project your anger in your composition. – Due to the pandemic, for a limited time only, I will critique and assist you if you like. Send your draft to jeffzalles@gmail.com.
6. Create memes. If you can start a lawnmower, you can create a meme. It’s easy, it’s fun, and there’s no limit to what you can do. Create biting political commentary or just have some fun with family photos. Complete instructions are on the BCDP website at https://www.brunswickdem.org/memes.
7. Communicate with our candidates. Visit the websites of our 2020 candidates and see what their positions are on issues that are important to you. Don’t hesitate to send them comments or suggestions. They, too, are stuck at home and would welcome your input. For information and contact links for all the Democratic candidates who will be on the ballot this fall, go to https://www.brunswickcandidates.org/.
8. Finally, exercise if you can. Just taking a walk or a bike ride is a great stress reliever.
Stay home. Stay well!
--Jeff
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