Friends,
Hey there and welcome to our second edition of Unpacking.
ICYMI: We started this newsletter last week as a space for us (Carrie and Emily, the co-authors) to compare notes and make sense of things happening in our worlds. Our plan is to focus on topics that would come up in a water-cooler chat — like what you’d say to your friend-colleagues on a Friday afternoon as you LARP your way into the weekend.
Well there’s a LOT to unpack this week.
We’re going to focus on the things we know: our own Election Day experiences, our thoughts and feelings now, and what we’re doing as we head into the weekend. We’re mixing up the format here a bit, but we did warn you last week: this is an ~EXPERIMENT~
What our e-days looked like
Emily: I had already voted so my day did not have the same excitement as seen in my social media circles. I, gratefully, had a day full of distracting Zooms. My last Zoom finished about an hour before polls closed and I went through this period of decisions: when to turn on CNN, when to put the frozen pizza in the oven, when to know it’s time to go to sleep. All I remember is my heart racing while John King kept going back and forth in those Ohio counties. It was a restless night.
Carrie: The big highlight for me was voting in person. After months of talking and talking about this election, I found myself surprised to stand in my voting booth, examine the ballot, and think about this sacred act. I also had an over-the-top amazing egg sandwich. This, coupled with lots of coffee, gave me a sense of optimism about the day. And so, Election Day was a thrill ride up until about 9-10 p.m. when it started to feel like a long wait, and I tucked myself into bed.
Immediate thoughts
C & E: Seeing white people reaffirm white supremacy, again and again, is deeply saddening and hurts. We know our Black friends and colleagues are in pain and mourning, again. No matter who wins this thing, we can all see the reality of racism as plain as day. The Boston Globe had a good piece on this.
C & E: Political polling — okay, we’re confused. Was the polling “wrong,” or “hard to understand,” or both? And if it’s an exercise that’s difficult for the public to understand and use, then who does political polling serve, and why?
Carrie: This entire week has felt a lot like being pregnant. There’s a lot of anticipation, some dread, some excitement, and a lot beyond your control. And, it’d be weird if you weren’t thinking about it. This period of waiting has me thinking about the fact that regardless of who is inaugurated in January, there is a lot of work to do.
Emily: Ok, here’s a sillier observation. I’m slowly finding more “comedy” in the antics of the Trumpers than anxiety or stress. Comedy is a generous word, but something about Eric standing up on that stage as he “claimed Pennsylvania” and Rudy coming in hot (after his Borat appearance last week — is there no shame anymore?!) just seemed funnier than usual. Wondering if it’s because there’s some hope for the end of this embarrassment.
Things to mull over when you have the energy
Greta Thunberg Hears Your Excuses. She Is Not Impressed.
Carrie: Her clarity of speech is inspiring. I sat up a bit when I read this bit: “I think we can safely say that if Trump wins it would threaten many things. But I’m not saying that Joe Biden is good or his policies are close to being enough. They are not.”
There's No Escaping Who We Have Become
Emily: An excellent piece that summarizes the realities and challenges that will remain long after the election. One of those challenges: the rise of conspiracy theories, notably, QAnon. See QAnon Is More Important Than You Think for a good explainer. And this op-ed in NYT about how Trump feeds into it.
Carrie: This is still worth a read even post-election. Among other things, Moore points out immediately how important local news and coverage is, AND he talks about future pandemics AND he talks about movie theatres. Are these my life’s meta-tags?
How we’re going to recharge this weekend
Emily: I caved and got a Calm subscription.
Carrie: Funny you mention it, I enjoyed Calm’s TV series on HBO Max. I watched the episode about noodles, narrated by Oscar Isaac.
Emily: Calm has TV too?! Excellent. When not binge-watching that, I’ll also plan on taking a virtual kickboxing class — something a friend got me hooked on!
Carrie: And I’ll be taking lots and lots of walks. Like this one, when I found a furry and lovable caterpillar:
Feedback? Thoughts? Shoot us a note at newsletterwizards@gmail.com or respond directly to this email.
Your newslettering-pals,
Carrie & Emily