It just dawned on me why I haven’t fully gotten over Hillary Clinton losing the Presidential election. She represented hope and now that so-called hope has vanished. Poof! Like a figment of our imagination.  Her public and even humiliating loss to someone grossly unqualified, uncouth and just hideous triggered me. And I’m not alone. 

Hillary represents a dream deferred or worst defeated. She represents wanting something so badly that you exchange the better part of your life for it. You sacrifice time, money, resources, even quality time with people whom you love and need you, for this one big dream.  She represents being set up to fail. She represents coming so close only to lose everything she worked hard for in one night without any warning. We’ve all been there on some level. 

How many of us have been blindsided by someone or something? You just never saw “it” coming, which caused you to be a proverbial sitting duck; defenseless, helpless and conquered.  This isn’t about politics, this is about real life and how it feels to be let down.  Disappointed.  

This is about having to concede to your opponent on the largest stage known to mankind; all eyes watching you as your heart crumbles by the second. As you fight back tears, the desire to scream expletives and explode in righteous anger. You must remain graceful and go high after you have been dragged so low.  What could be more humiliating? 

Oh yes, this is definitely about real life and unmet expectations.  How about the time that you were passed over for a job or promotion only to have it land safely in the lap of one less qualified than you? How about the time your ex left you for someone else not half as attractive, educated or committed as you? What about the people who seem to get all of the breaks while others seem to get zilch and passed over?  It happens. Maybe not to you or me but we all know someone who some of these things have happened to.  

It’s human to feel sad and to question why.  To ask God or the Universe “why me? Why her, why him, why them?” There is no easy explanation sometimes.   And the times when there is, the heart is simply unable to accept the truth of what is.  The reality is there is always light at the end of the tunnel.  At issue is sometimes we don’t know how long the tunnel extends. Sometimes we just have to understand as someone once said, the difference between the end of something versus the end of everything. There is an exponential difference between the two.  

Hillary is going to be okay. As is the country.  As will you and I. I give thanks for life giving me situations that help me better understand me and those around me.  That’s all this is; these are teachable moments for us to learn more about ourselves.  It is occurrences like this that serve as a call to action. When everything is in order there is no need for necessary change. Sometimes we have to get so uncomfortable that we can no longer sit idly by and do nothing. 

Everything truly is in Divine Order.  Sometimes we are the ones who must realign ourselves to the special calling on each of our lives. Hope is ever present though sometimes distant.  It is only through mustard seed size faith that we shall realize it. 

This is much more than politics.  

History is the road map. We have been down this path before. The part that makes me feel sad is that while some believed that history would never repeat itself, others longed for the days of old. 

This presidential election spoke volumes. And I hear the message loud and clear. Eight years ago, many underestimated the possibility that a Black man (actually he is biracial), could be elected President of the United States of America. Yet he was…twice. Eight and even four years ago, some folks stayed home thinking that “there was just no way”, that he could be elected or re-elected. What were his credentials? Who is he; what is he? There’s no way the American people would vote for an unknown person. But we did. 

And that was all some of us did. Perhaps some of us were selfish; too busy gloating that “we got ours.” Some of us thought that the work was over. So much so that everything else didn’t matter or was not on the same wavelength as our ideals, values, needs and wants. Au contraire. While some were still celebrating others were struggling, even seething about the perceived eradication of values; lack of so called common decency, economics, health care, jobs, global relations and whatever the issues were or is. Some of us let our guard down and paid dearly for it. Some of us just gave up. 

It has been well documented what President Obama endured during his presidency. He has not had it easy. Yes, he has made some mistakes and missed the proverbial mark. His two terms were not absent of adversity and staunch partisan opposition. Any failure assigned to his legacy as President is shared by both political parties and this is an immutable fact. 

Some people dislike and claimed to not trust Hillary Rodham Clinton to the extent that they showed obvious love for Donald J. Trump. There are those who have sincere concerns about her integrity and that of her husband. Others simply cannot and will not accept a woman holding the highest political seat in the nation. The latter is unfortunate and shows that we still have a very long way to go. Nonetheless, as Americans we have the right to choose and vote for whichever candidate we decide is best for us. 

Besides those who voted for him, those who voted for candidates who had no legitimate chance of winning, voted for Trump indirectly. Those who insisted on showing loyalty to Bernie Sanders by not voting at all, voted for President-elect Trump.  

And yes, it was and is their choice to vote in protest or to not vote at all. That is essentially the beauty of living in a democracy. We all have freedom of choice…today. And I defend this right and will protect the right to make a personal choice regardless of whether it is popular by the standards of others or it is not. So long as it is not illegal or will intentionally harm others. 

Personally, I cannot in good conscience support anyone who believes in any level of supremacy over another. You can love your heritage, family, values, community, religion and politics without hating those who think and live differently. We can and sometimes will have to agree to disagree. A dictatorship says that we all have to think and live the same. I’m not down for that and I never will. I have a right to live my life the way I choose and so do you; so long as we do not infringe upon each other’s right to liberty. 

My candidate did not win. And I feel sicken by this fact. I am entitled to feel this way and I’m not going to get over it on anyone elses time table but my own. This is not a threat to anyone either. These are my opinions and my feelings that are mine to manage. This is also not about my being a Democrat; I vote based upon whose qualifications and values are most aligned with my own. If that candidate happens to be aRepublican, so be it. The problem that I have with the now President-elect is the platform on which he ran. 

You can attempt to compare him to President Obama or Hillary or Bill Clinton until times get better. I have to respectfully offer that the correlations are minimal at best. The divisive vitriol of this election on behalf of the former Republican nominee was exclusively his and is unprecedented, at least in my lifetime. My ancestors were exposed to this level of hate and threats. This proposed level of oppression is new to my generation. So pardon me for being appalled for being told that we have to make “America Great Again.” Per my history books and in my experience, while we have plenty of opportunity to become a greater nation, we are indeed great today and much better than we were before. 

I agree that the election is over and Trump has been elected. What is both disheartening and hypocritical is those who are protesting or are upset by this result, are being told by those who feel differently to “get over it.” Or to “come together.” I agree and I respect that. Which then begs the question, did you say the same thing to the opponents of President Obama who faced relentless staunch partisan opposition throughout his two terms? Whether it be through the so called Birther Movement, which was being spread as fact, or when Obama was publicly called a liar during a Congressional meeting about health care by a Republican House member.  Were these detractors told to respect the office of the President of the United States even if you don’t respect the man or his politics? 

I am personally “over it” and am ready to move on. I already have.  I am ecstatic that this election is finally over because it was making us all sick. I am also going to be just fine regardless who sits in the Oval Office. Why? Because I have faith in God who will always protect and guide me. However, I can only speak for myself. 

Overall, leadership and decorum starts at the top. If Donald Trump is genuinely invested in uniting the country which will soon solely rest on his shoulders, may I offer the following friendly advice:

Get off of Twitter and get in front of the American people. And speak to us. All of us. 

Use the familiar free airwaves to make speeches just like you did to advertise your reality TV show, and just like you did when you ran for office. 

People don’t care about what you say. It’s about action now. Put your money where your mouth is. 

Keep your promises because many people seem to believe in you. 

Your platform was about being different than Washington politicians; well you’re now a part of that political institution. You are now Washington D.C. in the hearts and minds of the world. Mr. Trump, you will soon be sworn in as Commander in Chief of the United States. If you are in fact different there is no better time to show that than now.  

Unify the country by acknowledging that some are rightfully afraid and need reassurance before they can move forward with you. If you ignore these legitimate concerns, you are really no better than any other politician who made similar empty promises.  

You are no longer a Republican nominee or a businessman. You now speak on behalf of the American people collectively. Say something and do something to restore order and peace in our nation. 

Violence and war is not the answer. Race is not the problem. We all want the same basic things in the end. The freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; we each want justice, equality and peace. 

As President Abraham Lincoln once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”