One of my former students reached out to me to ask me the following question.
“Hi Mr. Lehmann, I wanted to ask if you had any tips for how you’re getting through the early days of this new presidency? I know you’re not my principal and haven’t been for almost seven years now (wow) but… I am honestly quite distraught these days.”
Here’s what I wrote back… and I’m publishing it at the request of their family, in the hopes that it helps others find some comfort.
“Great question, and I admit, I am figuring it out myself.
First thing – it is every bit as bad as it feels. You aren’t wrong. You aren’t catastrophising. So, it’s ok to be angry, frustrated, distraught… all the things.
Second – you can’t spend 24/7 thinking about this. Jokes are still funny, naps still matter, and the Eagles are still in the Super Bowl. Embrace the moments when things still make you happy.
Third – and this is hard. You don’t have to read EVERY Substack, listen to every podcast, absorb every hot take. You’ll make yourself nuts. And I say this as someone who probably consumes too much political media, but learn when you have the knowledge you need for now, and don’t let yourself keep reading 15 variations on the same idea.
And then… find small things you can do to feel useful. I’ve been making sure that new principals understand what to do if ICE shows up. I’ve been working with Ultimate coaches on how to talk to players who feel vulnerable right now, because these coaches feel unprepared for the moment. It’s not stopping Trump, but it’s wrapping my arms around a problem I can solve. There are going to be a lot of local manifestations of the hurt Trump is causing that will require good people to try to mitigate that damage. That’s going to matter a lot.
And don’t try to do everything at once. They are hoping that by doing all they are doing at once, they’ll disorient us and exhaust us. And it’s working. So… remember, social change is a marathon not a sprint, and it isn’t a race you run alone. Pick targeted actions that you can do, but remember that we have to stay in this fight for the long haul. The mid-terms are coming. So is the next election. And we’re going to need everyone who cares involved.
Those are my best ideas right now. I’m not sure how useful they are, but they are what I am trying to keep top of mind, even as I scream at the computer whenever I read the latest thing Trump and his people have done.
Thanks for reaching out and I hope this helps a little.”
[My end note — I hope my alum and their family is right. I hope this does help some folks who are reading it find some comfort in this moment. We have to find our way through this. And these are fights that we really must win. Stay safe and stay strong, everyone.]
Excellent advice, Chris. Especially number 3. I began pulling back from social media a couple of years ago when things started going south at Twitter and cut off entirely, except for photographers I follow on Insta, after the election.
Instead I’ve recommitted to writing on my blog and connecting with others who are doing the same. It’s possible to build supportive and caring communities without social media (EduCon!!) but that takes far more work than posting random thoughts on their platforms and suffering with whatever crap their algorithms feed you.