Never been much of a Taylor Swift fan. Probably a generational thing. But now that I am living in a retirement community among a demographic that collects social security checks rather than “likes” on social media, I realize that not much has changed other than the grey hair and the wrinkled skin. I am disheartened to discover that the spiritual evolution of mankind is not an automatic process achieved solely by the passing of years alone.
As I am striving to stay on course with my spiritual journey into the light, I find myself overwhelmed at times with the darkness of others, pulling me back and beating me down, goading me to engage and thus lose my way. I often wonder what ever happened to the “happily ever after” phase of life. You know, the phase that you worked your ass off for decades to enjoy, only to find an abundance of mean girls and bully boys, all grown up but still hard at work destroying the peace and tranquility of others in an effort to feel better about themselves.
This fascination with the darkness and all the power and presumed adulation that is derived from it seems to be systemic, or, at the very least, well on its way to becoming so. What I call Trumpism is emerging as an institutionalized, global culture. And I’m not talking about red vs. blue, tax vs. no tax, or wall vs. no wall. I’m talking about the epidemic of accepting lies as alternative truth, accepting visceral hate for others as defensible positions, and accepting harsh judgements and the dissemination of lies as sustainable forms of communication. The list goes on and on: misogynism, xenophobia, racism, homophobia, bigotry, etc. etc. – all these forms of hate seem to be re-emerging from the nether-world with a vengeance. I know it’s always been there, but surely not to this magnitude?!
I thrived in the ’60’s and ’70’s as a peace-loving, pot-smoking hippie. We had such naive hope for the future, a future based in love and acceptance, sharing and caring. Blind Faith was not just a band. It was a way of life. Those dreams and ambitions obviously went up in a puff of hallucinogenic smoke.
Fast forward to 2019. We were driving to the beach last week to meet with some new/old friends for a joyful respite from our reclusive recovery when we encountered long blockades on the highway. The signs of the protestors were not legible, but it was clear that they were young students dressed in school uniforms carrying the Costa Rican flag. When violence erupted at one of the checkpoints, we quickly pulled a u-turn and headed home. The abrupt rise of tension in the hot, humid air, followed by fists flying, was the last thing we needed to experience on this brief holiday to reconnect with positive, energetic influences.
When we got home, I researched why the kids were protesting, hoping to resonate with some emotional, socially redeeming cause. Instead, I found vague references to the kids being pissed off about school funding going to build bathrooms for the LGBTQ students. Say what?! Not sure this is even accurate, but it did come from the CR newspaper and a press release issued by the U.S. Embassy. If this even has a shred of truth to it, it is mind-boggling that this could happen in this day and age. Yes, there is a strong Catholic influence in this culture. Even more surprising, there is an upsurge of Evangelical persuasion here as well. I am not pro or anti any religion, but I am vociferously against the spewing of hate in any language or religion. There was even a mention of a dis-information campaign launched on FB and Whatsapp to fuel the fires. The Russians, perhaps? Or just bitter old neighbors looking to spread their venomous hate? No matter who they are, the haters are manipulating the kids to hate, hate, hate…
So, what is my take-away from all of this? It’s two-fold, actually. First and foremost I am committed to trusting in the universe that how we are living our lives and how we are treating others is of paramount importance. To our miniscule evolution, and to the macro evolution of mankind. Native Americans call it walking the Red Road…and that’s the path we choose to follow, no matter how arduous it proves to be. And secondly, I am no longer reticent to defend myself from all of the negative energies that swirl about. I was raised in the 50’s to be an obedient, silent girl, with white-gloved hands and folded ankles. No more. I will speak my truth with confidence and fight back the waves of intolerance and mean-spiritedness that ebb and flow around me.
So, in the words of my new bestie, Taylor, I intend to “Shake it off, shake it off…” Shake it off and move on…into the light…
Namaste 
Jun. 30, 2019
Judy Richter 