Non-Political pre-Thanksgiving message.
“I am glad that the election cycle is over” is a well-worn phrase that I have practiced and looked forward to using since the middle of August. Be careful what you wish for because now that the election is over, I am discovering new sources of stress. I believe that the desire to move on from the election turmoil may avoid a necessary time for us to reunite as family, community, and nation.
What am I talking about? I have had a surprisingly large number of former students, colleagues, casual acquaintances, and total strangers on the Metro indicate a desire not to participate in Thanksgiving this year. “I just called my mom and told her that I was not coming home for Thanksgiving.” This, or a close variant, is the essence of a reaction. On the other side, many parents similarly are hesitant about Thanksgiving this year because they too anticipate continued strife. Rather than face those on the other side of the outcome, many appear to be avoiding the problem out of fear or fatigue. This is a horrible aftermath of the election for families and the nation at a time we most need to heal our deep divisions.
Google “post-election stress” and you will find that every major newspaper and magazine has an article on how best to cope. Even Cosmopolitan has entered the fray. The sources of stress, to my knowledge, are not partisan statements. Some of my many contacts are Clinton supporters getting together with a family that supported Trump. Others supported Trump and home was mostly for Clinton. For most, however, the Thanksgiving dinner would have a mixture of both camps. In all cases, the anticipation of the tone of the “discussion” was more than they could handle.
Family is not exactly like the professional environment but we of all people should be accustomed to handling precisely these types of stressful times. Building a team with a unity of purpose to attain a common goal is at the core of our educational models. I would argue that healthcare has a greater diversity of background, training, interests, age, gender, and many other characteristics than most of our families. We consistently prepare our students with the skills to successfully mold unity of purpose from diverse colleagues. Surely, if we expect our students to have these competencies, we should be able to model the behavior at home.
Please start bringing us all back together with your immediate family and friends during this season. The healing must start in the home. Encourage your colleagues and most importantly your students to follow your example. If you want to argue about something try turkey versus Tofurky as the main course.
We have a great tradition in this country to be thankful for what we all have. I am not arguing for anyone to give up on their ideals but perhaps we can find a way to be “Stronger Together” as we strive to “Make America Great Again.”
Happy Thanksgiving.