To quit. To resign. We all do them and often under similar, but different, conditions. Not only in the job market sense of the word, really, though I am sure there are similarities.
Quitting a job has the feeling of leaving employment without good feelings toward the employer, while resigning a job, though the reasons for departure might be the same, connotes some moderation of the negative feelings, even if kept inside. Many of us are familiar with that; we have all quit and/or resigned. Job security, pay, compensation or benefits, family- or health-related are all reasons for leaving one job going to another.
This thought is much larger than a job or career. It can be a reason for leaving work, but it really relates to the internal feelings one can develop when the external stimuli become almost overwhelmingly difficult or incomprehensible.
Quitting life in certain ways short of death. Resignation of ones spirit.
These can happen for many reasons, but this thought of mine relates to what has been happening in our world for the past couple of years. We have witnessed a disturbing increase in violent behavior in parts of the world, overt political corruption in others, and a seeming departure from civility among some of the world leaders.
Eight years ago the United States did something few, if any, people thought was possible. They elected an African-American president. Many thought this was a step in the direction of unify and reducing the impact of deeply-held racist feelings that affect pretty much everything that happens in that country. On the other hand, many also saw it as an abhorrent result of an election that insulted people of a certain race.
The stress only increased for the next eight years. Political differences and decisions, ways of communicating or not communicating with segments of society increased the chasm between the races and between the political opinions. Then the voters did something nobody expected, including the winner.
They elected an narcissistic, self-centered, thin-skinned, billionaire TV reality star non-politician as their next president. And the stress increased as the racial and political divisions became more stark, pronounced, and overt. What used to be private or quietly shared among like-minded people now jumped onto the big screen. People felt no remorse when badmouthing "them" or when violently, physically assaulting "them" merely because they did not believe like "we" do.
Us. Them. Yes. No. Black. White. All. None.
What the world has come to be; segregated by politics, by nationalism, by racialism, by materialism.
In short, by any and all man-made boxes.
For me, the stress has almost become unbearable. I struggle with conflicting feelings. I deeply believe in the oneness of mankind as the pivot around which unity of the world's peoples must revolve. Yet I also am unsure how to get there, whether my yet unborn granddaughter and her own siblings and cousins will live to see it.
Makes me want to quit. Just to get away from all this. To stop. To get into a place of comfortable misery, I guess. I have already cut way back on reading social media posts. I do not read much news. I long ago stopped watching broadcast television, so I do not watch any news program, cable or otherwise.
In short, I try to focus on things that will not damage my already-injured psyche anymore.
I am not always successful and it makes me just want to quit. Not resign, with the feelings of moderating negatives. Just quit. Cold.
I just want the madness to stop.
No comments:
Post a Comment