We’re quickly approaching the two year anniversary of Covid-19 hitting the U.S. and changing our lives forever. Throughout this pandemic, I have found myself saying, “well, things could always be worse.” It’s time for me to stop uttering those words, as it bites me in the ass every single time I say them.
Isolating with your family, homeschooling your children while fearing death from a new, mysterious disease? Could be worse.
Cops murdering people of color on the street in cold blood? Could be worse.
Narcissistic sociopath President inciting a coup attempt following a fair election? Could be worse.
Democracy as you know it hurtling like an out of control freight train on fire toward the edge of the Grand Canyon? Could be worse.
Movement of anti-vax, anti-mask delusional assholes living in an alternative universe pushing their agenda of death upon all of society? Could be worse.
No. That’s it, I’m putting my foot down. No more worse. I’m tired of worse. I want better. I demand better. Instead of thinking about how much worse things could be, it’s about Goddamn time we start to think about how much better everything needs to be at this point in the pandemic and in our country in general. In fact, it’s beyond time.
Far too long I’ve had an overall philosophy on life involving the beauty of low expectations. I’d joke that I’d be happy with the way my kids turned out as long as they didn’t grow up to be serial killers or republicans. These days it’s no longer remotely funny as I couldn’t imagine the nightmare of my children being republicans because of what the republican party has become. For so long, I figured by keeping my expectations low, my chances of being disappointed were significantly diminished. Though this philosophy may work quite well when going to see a movie, I realize now it’s not a great way to base my world view.
Sadly, America as a society has bought into the philosophy of low expectations and, as a result, has succeeded in setting the bar very low in so many areas. Rights and privileges we’ve taken for granted are slowly eroding, as the GOP makes it their mission to chip away at them bit by bit. Meanwhile, democrats have done very little to put a stop to it. Union rights, voting rights, social safety nets, affordable healthcare and childcare, our educational system — the list seems never ending.
It’s time we raise expectations of our leaders and institutions, not lower them. We’ve been lowering them for so long we’ve reached a point where the bar is set so low we’ll soon need a shovel to dig a hole, and that hole will be our own grave. Not only do we need to raise our expectations, we need to demand they get met. Demand healthcare for all. Demand affordable childcare. Demand quality education and the protection of the most vulnerable in our society. Demand giving a shit about climate change and actually doing the work to reverse it. I’m tired of setting the bar low. I’m tired of expecting the minimum and not even getting that. I’m tired of barely striving for the status quo. It’s time to rise up and say fuck to “it can always be worse.”
It may feel like we’ve been beaten into submission, into a state of just accepting things for being what they are. Yes, we’re all exhausted and finding the energy to fight so much all at once is not going to be easy. The GOP have made it clear they’ll go to any length to win — lie, cheat and steal — they’ll truly sink to the lowest of lows. They are a morally corrupt party reliant on lies and fear to guide their base. They have lost whatever soul they may have once had. How do we fight that? Where do we even begin?
We can start by raising the bar up high, raising our expectations of our leaders. Bring back shame. Make them accountable for their actions or inaction — whether it be at the ballot box or in court. Strive to be part of the solution on any level you can manage. Get involved in your community. Get on that school board and tell those anti-maskers where to go. If you can’t manage a big commitment, keep it simple. Bake some cookies for someone who’s having a hard go of it. Spread kindness, encouragement, empathy, send out positive energy into this world that so often feels dark and hopeless. Raise expectations for yourself and those around you. Expect more, give more, feel more, love more. Sorry, I think I may be evoking a Target commercial here . . .
Remember you are not alone. Don’t give up!
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