I'M GONNA WASH THAT MAN RIGHT OUT OF MY HAIR....

 

   Those of us who were brought up in the 1950s probably saw the two wonderful musicals on TV--"South Pacific" and "Oklahoma!" I remember dancing around to the latter as we watched the show, just entranced at the dancing, music, singing, and acting. But it is the former I am remembering right now with the wonderful actress (whose name I forget) singing, "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair and send him on his way!"

 

   Man, do I wish I could do that with DT! In the Fall of 2024, before we knew who had the election (Notice I do not say "won" as there seems to be some good evidence that it was stolen.), I remember saying to my husband, "God! I will be so glad to NEVER see his face again, never hear his horrible voice, and never again see the lies he spews from his crooked mouth!" Alas, it was not to be.

   So it is now, almost 2 years later, that I am thinking of that wonderful song from "South Pacific" and how I wish I could wash that man out of my hair. Maybe once the mid-terms are over--assuming the elections are not once again stolen--I can get my wish.

   What do you do to stay sane and grounded during these horrible times? What actions, habits, or beliefs keep you singing and dancing, maybe just a tiny bit? Here are some of the things I am doing, Annie-wise, to stay sane, not despair, and have hope for our shared future.

1/ I am rereading the "Charlotte and Thomas Pitt" mystery series by Anne Perry.

 I once had a fabulous Icelandic hairdresser who refused to read anything by that author due to her having murdered the mother of her best friend, possibly lover, when a teenager. I am not so purist. What is interesting to me in this Victorian mystery series is how much it reminds me of our present times: the enormous gap between the rich and the poor, the horrific slums, the refusal of the elite to see what life was like for the disadvantaged, and how evil wound its tortuous way through people's lives.

2/ I am taking delight in actually holding a paper book in my hands. Say it ain't so, Annie! I am rereading for probably the 7th time "Nella Last's War" 

and "Nella Last's Peace." If you have not read these, run right out and find them. Nella was a housewife in Barrow, England (new the Lake District) in the 1930s and on through the war. Reading about how she kept sane and busy during the bombing of Barrow, the strict rationing, the worries about her boys, especially Cliff who was in the Army and was wounded in Italy, helps give me a sense of perspective and hope about the times we are living through. She kept busy. She volunteered for the Women's Volunteer Services helping to run a Canteen, making blankets and packages for POWs abroad, and running a Red Cross Shop which enabled her and others to send aid packages abroad to soldiers. Life was hard. She was married to a difficult man, probably prey to an anxiety disorder, but she found freedom and a kind of happiness in volunteering and feeling she was helping to keep the ship of state afloat. I cannot do what Nella did, but I can manage a household, cook delicious meals (as she did all the time with rationed food), volunteer when I can, and donate money to organizations which help the less fortunate.

3/ More books in paper, this time ones by Dora Saint, otherwise known as Miss Read and the author of the "Fairacre" series and the "Thrush Green" series. I love her wry sense of humor, her sharp observations of people, and how she writes about nature and the seasons. Also children, as she had actually taught in a small British rural school for several months. Her world is mostly calm, with some exceptions, and I slide into it gratefully at the end of the day to be in a time and place where life made sense, the government was not insane, and people mostly looked out for each other.

4/ Another book in paper, this one is: "Simply Jesus" by N.T.Wright, the famous theologian, author of many books and his own translation of the Bible, and a former Anglican Bishop in Britain.

 I gain a new understanding of what Jesus was about, who he thought he was, what his goals were, and how he knew he was heading for the cross. It reminds me that life is really not about me, that what I see happening in our country is not the last word, and that God--in the end--has the last word.

5/ Gardening.

 I FT with a friend in Devon about every 6 weeks (and let's hear it for FT as a way of staying sane!), and we share our gardening news: how she is fending off the deer from her large garden and apple trees, how putting her fingers into the soil makes her happy, and how much we have in common as we tend our veggie and perennial plots. This may seem a tad gruesome but I am happy to say that my husband--who is a crack shot--has killed 8 bunnies in the last 10 days, all creatures devouring my garden plants and newly-planted perennials. They are cute for sure, but damn destructive, and we do not have enough predators on our land to keep them in check.

6/ Deepening my faith life. I do this with daily Scripture readings, prayer, attending two different churches, and trying to ground myself in the Beatitudes,

 although I do fail rather miserably at them. I frankly do not know how people survive without a faith life, however you express it--it does not have to be church, could be social action, giving to charities, feeding the homeless, of whatever works for you. I just have to know that the "everlasting arms" are holding me up.

7/ Reading about politicians who are going up against DT and his corrupt regime. This includes, for me: Jamie Raskin, Elizabeth Warren, even Tom Tillis, AOC, Gov. Newsom, Tim Walz, and many others. I am heartened by the courage of others who stand up to evil, fight the good fight, and give us a sense of hope for the future. 

8/ One thing shown to increase dopamine in one's body is immersing yourself in cold water, aka the advice of Wim Hof, a Dutchman who discovered this. 

I have neighbors who throughout the winter plunge into their backyard pool (a bit cleared of ice) to gain this sense of well-being. I cannot do that, but I do put on very cold water at the end of a shower for at least 10-15 seconds. It helps.

9/ Being in community.

 Much research tells of how some elders survive longer than their cohorts. One constant is being in community which helps people's mental health and longevity. Perhaps it is a support group for you. Maybe it is a church. It could even be a favorite coffee shop where you know people and see them often on a recurring basis.

   And do not forget the solace of making art and music. Singing is a wonderful way to ground yourself, and if you wish, joining a choir--either in church or outside--can be a wonderful way to stay grounded. 

 However you do it, please pay attention to your physical, spiritual, and mental health. We are living in difficult, chaotic times, and it is up to us to keep steady and grounded, and hope that we will come out on the other end of this. Probably a bit battered, possibly poorer, but able to help our country recover its senses again.