One thing that seems to be lost in the current run up to the Presidential election is that we don’t have 4 years to waste on another round of political fighting. Pretty sure everybody loses if the county has to endure another term of the wheel getting yanked hard one direction and back another. The next term for president gets us very close to 2030, which is a significant milestone for the climate crisis. Spending 4 years on other distractions nearly ensures my children will be dealing with some of the worst potential futures that the climate crisis will bring.
If we don’t get anything resembling consistency between administrations, but instead the worst parts of the polarized two party system, I’m not sure how we mount a sustainable solution to tempering the worst effects of a warming planet.
Pro tip: Turn your work computer off on Friday afternoon.
Don’t just close the lid of the laptop, physically power it off. It is an effective way to trigger your brain to start the weekend. It also takes too long to power on and open things to be tempted to just check email. (You shouldn’t have email and work slack on your personal phone in the first place.)
This year has been the first year where I’m starting to feel like my world is getting back to normal post-pandemic. I’m regularly riding the CTA and Metra to get around the city, and going out to eat without thinking whether or not I should be masked up. Being able effortlessly spend time with friends in person has done wonders for my mental health. I’m hopeful that we’re past the the worst of the fallout from COVID, and that it’s one less thing to deal with.