Isn’t it crazy that the whole world watched the us election?
Here in Germany, there was no other topic during these days. We all talked about it as if we would have voted ourselves. We were terrified that Trump might be re-elected. Then, we celebrated when Biden and Harris finally won!
By the gods, it was a fucking crazy rollercoaster of emotions, wasn’t it?
The US Election Rollercoaster And All The Things In-between
I mean, it wasn’t only the election itself, of course. But all the weeks before while we were battling COVID-19 and were living in uncertainty and a pool of bubbling emotions. And also the heart-breaking, but needed march of Black Lives Matter when all those brave souls showed us what we didn’t want to see or ignored for too long. They gave us finally a deserved slap in the face.
I’m talking here from the perspective as a white cis woman. Just in case you were wondering. 😉
It was uncomfortable to realise that there’s still so much work to do. But uncomfortable is good. It shows you that there’s a need for change.
I just fear that some people aren’t ready yet to feel uncomfortable and question their beliefs. And change …
Even in Germany, where we are so open about the awful things that happened during World War II and where we learn about the uncomfortable truths so we’ll prevent it from ever happening again.
But there’s still a lot of racism happening here that I wouldn’t want to see. Or I wouldn’t want to challenge at family dinners after a family member told me: “There’s no racism in Germany! What are you talking about!?”
Geez, I know.
We still have a lot to do. A lot to learn. A lot to feel. A lot to fight.
The Hope For Change
But after seeing Biden and Harris win and seeing how they embrace positivity and humanity, I (like many others, I’m sure) cried.
I cried in relief for all those people who have suffered the most during Mr. Orange’s presidency.
I cried with hope that humanity is still there in the world.
I cried because it was soooo fucking exhausting to watch and see how the world’s future was decided with this election.
Some of you might think that’s a little over the top, but I really felt that way. After all the shit that happened, I felt that this result is the sign that humanity won and that most of us want a change.
Well, yeah, most of us.
The Fight Must Go On
What the US showed us during Trump’s Presidency is how broken the world is. It shone a light on what we wanted to ignore. What we didn’t want to acknowledge. It challenged our beliefs and also asked us:
“On which side are you on!?”
The answer to that question not only divided a country, it divided families and friends. I’ve also experiencing how my family breaks apart further and further …
On the one side, there’s the one that supports Trump and still thinks that he’s the saviour of the world. And who believes all that QAnon bullshit.
On another side, there’s the never-ending pessimist who believes that the world will never change. That we’re all doomed and it wouldn’t have mattered who would have won. All those people in power are jerks anyway.
And there’s me. The one that challenges the beliefs, asks uncomfortable questions, and tries to navigate through all that without exploding into my family’s faces.
But like I said before: We still have a lot to do.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
Barack Obama
And I know that I won’t stay silent anymore. Not with my family. Not with anyone. I’m gonna fight for empathy, for justice, and for humanity.
Because there’s still hope. There are decent, kind, caring, inspiring, and brave people out there who fight the big and the small battles.
So, let’s hope together and keep fighting the good fight,
Jule
P.s.: Don’t forget to dance today. 😉
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Jule Jessenberger 
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