Dangerous national and international events—troops in Washington, antidemocratic gubernatorial actions, erasure of memorials, ICE abuses, starvation in Gaza, and fraught Ukraine negotiations—generate pervasive despair and a sense that democracy is imperiled. Prolonged exposure to those forces contributed to burnout, overwhelm, and depression. A deliberate week-long unplugging and immersion in California’s natural beauty—choosing books over phones, watching waves, wildlife, towering redwoods, and night skies—allowed breathing, regained perspective, and emotional healing. A wrong turn onto a narrow, rutted mountain road produced a panic attack; the husband left to seek help, and neighbors soon appeared from nearby houses.
There is no denying that these are dangerous times, and it is all too easy to get sucked into the vortex of despair. From troops overrunning the streets of Washington, D.C., to the antidemocratic strongarm tactics of Governor Abbott in Texas, to Governor DeSantis ordering the Pulse Memorial rainbow walk to be painted over in Florida, to out-of-control ICE agents stealing people off the street, to starvation in Gaza, to whatever the heck is going on with the Ukraine negotiations,
I recently found myself burned out, overwhelmed, and depressed, with nothing left to give. So, I unplugged for a week: picked up a book instead of my phone, and spent a week with my husband soaking up the stunning beauty that California has to offer. Instead of watching the news, I watched waves on the shore, otters playing, pelicans soaring, towering redwoods, and the night skies. I started to breathe again and regain perspective. My soul began to heal.
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