The Morning After ...

Yes, it's the morning after and I must say that a lot of emotions are flowing through me at the moment. Mostly disappointment, shock, horror, resignation.

I believe that I might be the only one to have experienced Brexit AND the Trump Presidential win in person.

It was a quiet affair here in California. There was hardly any news on the street, a few people campaigning for their citizens to vote and mostly pro-Hillary but the day did pass uneventfully. I was even quite hopeful as we went down to San Jose for the day and visited the Tech Museum there. The streets were quiet and there wasn't much in the way of election news except on TV. (What made the news locally was $160,000 being donated to two candidates in a local counsellors' election!)

Afterwards, while I lay in bed with H watching and reading the election results as they came in, the anger and the frustration rose again. I didn't want Trump to win, and I was rooting against it, but somehow in my gut, I felt it was going to be Brexit all over again. There were some positives in the polls before the election that Hillary was ahead, but hadn't we heard that before?

The morning after here in the great US of A wasn't as bad as the morning after in London. I think, in London, it was because I had lived there for a long time, and suddenly waking up the next morning, feeling like I was an outsider overnight, looking over my shoulder and being aware of the colour of my skin being different and the cause of the exit vote the night before made all the difference. Here, in California, I am still a tourist and I haven't had the chance to make it home yet.

But I am familiar with that feeling and aware that it will, might come on. It IS about race, gender, sexual division, about "mine" and "yours", protectionism, fear, discrimination, the elite few and the masses. While Facebook is full of Americans expressing horror (my friends anyway), I feel like it's Groundhog Day. I am witnessing a repeat of Brexit all of over again. It's the nightmare that never ends. (Waaaay too 1984 for my liking)

We were at friends a couple of weeks ago and politics (naturally) came up. They enquired about Brexit and someone said, "Oh, but you have your own saga here - Trump!". I think even that division alone seems wrong. I think we all have a hand in this. UK, USA - it represents a lot of the Western world, and whether it is across the Atlantic or not, we are one brethren. We can't be divided in a time like this - what UK does, and what USA does, affects a huge part of the world. Of course we care. And we can't say it's someone else's problem. It's a problem for that country. When a large number of the population in effect (let's face it) vote for hatred, condemnation of a different race, colour, creed, sexual orientation, it's for everyone to worry.

What also gets me is that the number of women who have voted for Trump, DESPITE his vile proclamations about women. Whether you believe that was for show or he really meant it, I found it telling that women would be willing to vote for the now president of the free world who has admitted to abusing women. What does it say about our self esteem? Our willingness to vote for abuse essentially? To perpetuate the abuse is just wrong. We need to stand up for our own kind and stop voting for a someone like Trump who perpetuates and essentially condones abuse. This is not solidarity, ladies!

In the end, it's about getting ahead. It's about winning. It's about who gives you the biggest social and economic boost. It's who represents your values the best. Be damned with decency and doing the right thing and being kind, compassionate, welcoming and human. It's ironic that the masses in the UK voted against Remain simply because they felt that they were losing, losing out on benefits, losing their voice (ironically) and getting the shorter end of the stick.

Here, in the US, they voted for Trump because the masses thought that there were too many benefits, too left wing, too bigger voice for the downtrodden. It was, as a BBC article put it, a vote against the Obama administration.

You could make the excuses for each campaign, but essentially, the way I see it, it's a vote for racism, discrimination, inequality and fear. Lots and lots of fear.

So, the morning after drudges up memories of the not-so-long-ago Brexit that I hoped against hope would not be repeated. I, as we all do from the FB posts I see, fear the worst to come and the horrors that would be (re-)visited when Trump and Brexit come to maturity. Let's hope this never comes to pass.

On a brighter note, California legalised the recreational use of cannabis. Woo hoo! Happy days.

Lots of love from the still sunny California xoxo

PS: For some comedy relief, I have added pictures of a turtle crossing sign and turtle biscuits.