then she appeared

I've figured out my last journal type I'm going to do. I never would have guessed, but it's closest to the worry journal I talked about in my first post. In that post I wondered, "Wouldn't it make you feel worse? According to Restoration Counseling of Atlanta, writing down your worries and then literally closing the book on them can help you stop ruminating. Interestingly, they say to "List bothersome issues on the left side of the page." But also, "Think about what you can do to help resolve these issues and write your plans on the right side of the page." (I hate when people just say to try to ignore things or take deep breaths rather than actually trying to change things.) They do admit that sometimes we do have to learn acceptance."

I've decided to write what I'm calling a horror journal. When I read about something horrifying in the news, I'm writing a brief description (with a link to the source) and, just like they said, setting it aside and moving on. I'm not going to be including ideas for resolving every one of these issues because that can get very dark. (So, like a normal worry journalist might say--I'll never finish this assignment in time, and then write down that they could work on it a little each day, ask the professor for advice, etc.) The problem is that the issues I'm listing are things I have very little control over. And having to come up with some sort of solution for all of these impossible, devastating horrors is too much for any one person. I'm already always on the lookout for ways to fight these problems and write to my representatives rather frequently. Mostly I look for ways to join what others are doing and thus amplify their voices, so I sign petitions, join e-mailing campaigns, show up at the occasional rally, and try to vote with my dollars (and of course with my actual votes).

I think most people doing worry journals are fighting more personal worries of some kind. They are especially good for people with crippling anxiety or depression. I keep reading about mindfulness and acknowledging thoughts and feelings without judgement. I don't have crippling anxiety and I'm not judging myself. Instead it feels more like I'm acknowledging the horrors that others are facing, and I am giving them a place of honor. Kind of like a veteran's memorial, but for things like democracy, decency, public health, and the environment. I don't have to try to remember them all--they are all going to be in one place if I need to refer to them.

I wish I'd been doing this the first 100 days. It feels good to have the response, "Okay, this is something I'm adding to my list" instead of just, "Aaaah! Swear swearing swear-face!" I get my frustrations out safely, semi-calmly.

Skip the rest of this post if you need a break from the news. Because today I've noted:
* Although T has supposedly stopped all immigration, he's sent a private aircraft to accept South African Afrikaners.
* "DHS is terminating Temporary Protected Status for people from Afghanistan — meaning they will start deporting those who helped the U.S. and cooperated with our forces, sending them back to Afghanistan and to the Taliban where they will be targeted, jailed or killed."
* House Republicans' proposed Medicaid cuts would mean 13.7 million people will be knocked off the health insurance rolls by 2034 according to the CBO. [I've learned earlier that some people on Medicare don't even know it; they only know the name of their intermediary insurance company.]
* At least one Canadian company is being hit with fees beyond the tariffs just in case their stuff is really made in China.
* The new head of the Library of Congress is a loser lawyer.
* The IRS is losing 11% of their workforce, including 31% of auditors, meaning they will lose much more money from cheaters in the future.