First, Vote. Then Distract Yourself from All Things Electoral

Did I correctly predict the outcome of the 2016 election?

Did no one believe me when I told them it was not going to go our way?

Did I explain to incredulous people that the reason I felt so strongly about my prediction was because I followed the EU referendum vote closely, and it completely changed how I viewed our own upcoming election, to which they responded, “The what?”

The answer to all these questions is YES.

But this time around, I have none of that certainty. i have STRESS. I am WORRIED. And all I can do at this point is wait and see. I’m planning for this week (at least) to be a real shitshow, and I’m going to hunker down and distract myself until I know what to do next. Join me, won’t you?!

My first bit of advice is kind of a weird one, but it’s to leave phone bankers and texters and other advocates ALONE. I used to cold call people for an NGO and I subsequently started drinking at work. If you get a random text from someone and you’ve already voted, or don’t agree with them, or simply don’t need any reminders, the absolute best thing you can do is not respond. It will save both of you time and energy. They don’t control what lists your number is on, they aren’t looking for a conversation. Just delete the text and move on!

Now that you’re not wasting the time of well meaning people, how are you going to distract yourself on election night (and the following who knows how many nights while things… happen)? I’ve recently started binging The Great British Bake Off/Baking Show from the beginning (of what was aired here in the US) and it’s DELIGHTFUL. I had a faint feeling that the switch to Channel 4 really downgraded the show, but watching the old seasons it’s CLEAR that the show is just not what it used to be. It’s great to see my old friends again, and to dream of a time and place where the worst thing that can happen is a soggy bottom.

I’m also planning on a Jane Austen adaptation binge. It’s my sincere belief that the 2005 Pride & Prejudice (streaming on Netflix) is the best version, and I basically have Sense and Sensibility (streaming on Starz) memorized. This year’s Emma is on HBO now, and I liked it, so I’ll throw that into the mix as well.

I’m also going to do a lot of bike rides to nowhere (thank you Peloton), listen to podcasts while playing goofy games on my iPad, and baking. I made a whole post about distractions (with links!) at the beginning of lockdown that you can read here.

Take care of yourself, take care of others, and when all else fails, fight like hell.