I’ve been glad to see the Town Hall contentious interactions with Republicans lawmakers. I was also elated to see the massive street protests across the country yesterday. I hope the resistance continues to grow to the point they can no longer be ignored by MAGA and the Republicans who fear Trump. Noticeably absent from the Town Halls and the street protests are people of color, specifically black faces, and I understand why. We feel that we did our job sounding the alarm prior to election day and then we voted in mass for Harris. We are protesting on social media and with our wallets through various boycotts. We recognize that this power struggle over the direction of the country belongs to white people even though we will be disproportionately suffering from the cruel and reckless Trump policies if the indecent white folks win. Our greatest responsibility is to protect ourselves.
There are a few people I watch and listen to when it comes to my wellbeing with regards to my finances, health, political participation, and gardening. For example, after the election, I followed Warren Buffet in a move to cash, divesting enough cash from the market in late 2024 and early 2025 to last seven years. I put that money into a high yield savings account and certificates of deposit. I also reduced my monthly stock market investments by 75%, limiting my remaining investment to a single index fund. And I made a commitment to not look at the stock market. And then we looked to reduce future spending.
In anticipation of a Trump induced financial turndown with his threatened tariffs (now reality), we made household upgrades. including an expansion of our food pantry and then purchased food staples, stocked up on everyday household items and then expanded our produce garden. We purchased seeds as opposed to seedlings (a fraction of the price) and learned from YouTube videos how to grow produce from seeds. I stockpiled clothes, crafting items, birthday gifts, and Christmas gifts for 2025 and 2026, purchasing these items during black Friday and the after Christmas sales.
When it comes to protecting our health, we listened carefully to the information and experiences surrounding Medicare advantage versus Medigap plans and chose Medigap for our medical care needs. Medigap plans may be more expensive, however, they offer greater protections and access to healthcare when it is really needed. On another note, I have very little confidence in this Administration’s public health decisions, so I’m paying special attention to maintaining my health. We’ve received all the recommended vaccines and doctor’s checkups, including dental visits. Part of this added attention to our health includes avoiding big crowds and wearing a mask in public. Since the fires and living in an earthquake zone, we upgraded our emergency kit to include a solar-powered generator and additional items. Under this administration, we anticipate that less aid will be available following a disaster. At this point, I’ve decided I’m not comfortable flying. However, we did renew our passports as a precaution.
Our mental health is important to us. We decided to spend our discretionary funds investing in ourselves, our relationships, helping the needy and helping to fund the political fight to save our country and the freedoms of our children and grandchildren. Our priority is maintaining our mental and physical health and that of our family members. Beyond that, we donate to political candidates and to organizations fighting in the courts on behalf of our rights. We continue to donate to fund medical research, food charities, and scholarships because we are all in this together.
We’ve noticed that the news is always disturbing these days, so we limit ourselves to small bites of news each day and limit our discussions of Trump and his latest act of cruelty. My husband has taken to watching cartoons and crime stories while I listen to music a lot more. I’m walking and stretching and doing breathing exercises to relieve stress. These practices also improve my physical stamina and flexibility. We’re both spending more time in the backyard enjoying the flowers and the birds and doing a lot of gardening. I’m making our favorite foods. We rely on pictures and videos of our grandchildren to make us laugh and smile throughout the day. Their futures are a huge motivator for us.
In this time of national distress, we cannot do nothing. While some people are taking to the streets to protest, I prefer to make my political posts each morning to encourage others to also stay in the fight for our decency, democracy, and our rights. We are participating in the Target boycott. We haven’t shopped in Target since January 31st. We frequently engage in conversations with busy family and friends to keep them informed and I frequently write to lawmakers to share my thoughts as well. And of course, I write this blog.
Horrible things are happening every day to innocent people. The cruelty, lawlessness, lies, and incompetence makes us angry. We find ourselves in a perpetual state of distress that no one asked for (not even a lot of Trump voters). So, it is imperative that we take additional steps to care for ourselves and our loved ones. In addition, it is required of us as patriots to do our part to resist the forces that seek to undermine our freedoms, destroy the rule of law and crash our economy.