A Day Which Will Live in Infamy
Friday, January 20, 2017. Inauguration Day. The same day Donald Trump is sworn is as President, I officially register as a citizen of Berlin. Coincidence? I think not.
My incredibly slow transition to live in Germany could not have occurred at a more opportune moment. Ever since the wee hours of November 9, 2016 when the nightmare became reality, I have been confused, frustrated, upset and above all disappointed. Never has a presidential election had such a visceral effect on me. I was overjoyed when Barack Obama became the first African-American President of the United States in 2009. I am still struggling with the fact he will no longer be our President and Michelle will no longer be our First Lady. I love them both dearly. I wept bitterly when Hillary Clinton conceded and continue to wipe tears from my eves I think the White House loses a classy, eloquent, charming man, only to gain...him. As an American I felt complacent and put faith in the system, naively believing he could not be elected. How wrong I was. How wrong we all were. Some say Trump will not have a "catastrophic" impact on the U.S. and the world at large, but I say he already has. His campaign, and coming presidency, stirred us up, deeply divided us, made us point fingers, shout in protest. Damage has already been done and today is his first day in office.
The question is, will the relationship between Trump and those who do not support him ever be salvaged? Trust, honesty, communication, respect, these are essentials in every relationship. Part of the reason my relationship with Robert is strong (6 months and counting) is because we talk things through and we try to move forward as a team. Trump, on the other hand, has isolated himself from the American people, excluding those who do not agree with him or his ways. His egomania is an embarrassment and he proves just how lonely it can be at the top, especially if you make enemies as quickly as he does. I never thought I would laugh harder at a President than George W. Bush, but Trump takes the cake. And it's sad. It is as if that racist, alcoholic uncle you never like inviting to family functions just showed up and insisted on making the Christmas ham at your house, insulting everyone along the way and staying for four years.
What good is the office of President, if the people whom you represent do not trust you? Where can he go from here? We are waiting with baited breath to see what this man will do. I hope more than anything, that he something makes things right. That he somehow admits his egregious mistakes. That he mans up and apologizes to everyone, because we all know he has offended just about everyone everywhere. That he realizes this job is serious and that he cannot only be a (subpar) businessman, he has to be an excellent leader and diplomat. He has to (sometimes) kiss asses, take insults with a smile and keep a level (orange) head. But I highly doubt this will happen, because I don't trust the man as far as I can throw him, and I'm no slouch. The only thing I can do right now is wait and see.
My incredibly slow transition to live in Germany could not have occurred at a more opportune moment. Ever since the wee hours of November 9, 2016 when the nightmare became reality, I have been confused, frustrated, upset and above all disappointed. Never has a presidential election had such a visceral effect on me. I was overjoyed when Barack Obama became the first African-American President of the United States in 2009. I am still struggling with the fact he will no longer be our President and Michelle will no longer be our First Lady. I love them both dearly. I wept bitterly when Hillary Clinton conceded and continue to wipe tears from my eves I think the White House loses a classy, eloquent, charming man, only to gain...him. As an American I felt complacent and put faith in the system, naively believing he could not be elected. How wrong I was. How wrong we all were. Some say Trump will not have a "catastrophic" impact on the U.S. and the world at large, but I say he already has. His campaign, and coming presidency, stirred us up, deeply divided us, made us point fingers, shout in protest. Damage has already been done and today is his first day in office.
The question is, will the relationship between Trump and those who do not support him ever be salvaged? Trust, honesty, communication, respect, these are essentials in every relationship. Part of the reason my relationship with Robert is strong (6 months and counting) is because we talk things through and we try to move forward as a team. Trump, on the other hand, has isolated himself from the American people, excluding those who do not agree with him or his ways. His egomania is an embarrassment and he proves just how lonely it can be at the top, especially if you make enemies as quickly as he does. I never thought I would laugh harder at a President than George W. Bush, but Trump takes the cake. And it's sad. It is as if that racist, alcoholic uncle you never like inviting to family functions just showed up and insisted on making the Christmas ham at your house, insulting everyone along the way and staying for four years.
What good is the office of President, if the people whom you represent do not trust you? Where can he go from here? We are waiting with baited breath to see what this man will do. I hope more than anything, that he something makes things right. That he somehow admits his egregious mistakes. That he mans up and apologizes to everyone, because we all know he has offended just about everyone everywhere. That he realizes this job is serious and that he cannot only be a (subpar) businessman, he has to be an excellent leader and diplomat. He has to (sometimes) kiss asses, take insults with a smile and keep a level (orange) head. But I highly doubt this will happen, because I don't trust the man as far as I can throw him, and I'm no slouch. The only thing I can do right now is wait and see.
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