FEBRUARY 14, 2020 – I’m not advocating drug use, but I do think it’s time for everyone to chill and take a mid-winter breather. Lately, I’ve observed growing stress, anger, and despair among people with whom I engage for more than a minute or two. If the slightest break occurs in conversation, BAM! politics slips in and triggers an explosion of emotion.
Almost never, however, do I observe a face-to-face argument between a Trumpian and an anti-Trumpian. Nearly all the nasty stuff is reserved for cable “news” and social media, where people can hurl invective and expletives at “idiots” they don’t have to confront directly.
Bordering on comical is how upset we get when we’re preaching to our own choirs. Often the scene starts with either “Can you ba-LEEVE [such and such]?!” or “I can’t ba-LEEVE [such and such]!” Soon we’re spitting as we shout at each other—in total agreement. These mutual venting sessions leave us exhausted and depressed, convinced by our own juiced-up anger that the country has gone to hell in a hand-basket. Or this: however great America wasn’t, it was much better than it is today! For icing on the cake, someone has to throw in, “And did you hear about the ice shelf falling off Antarctica?”
One can find ample evidence that we’re in one helluva jam on multiple fronts. Individually, each of us has limited options to change the outcomes. We all seem to be in a strictly reactive mode. That’s where the valium might come into play.
By “valium,” I mean a figurative version; one that can be taken as needed but without worry about cost, addiction, or adverse side effects. This “designer drug” can be imagined in many forms, tailored to the individual’s likes and lifestyle.
What better day than today to adopt a “virtual valium” regimen? People get stressed out about other holidays—“Who’s going to host the big meal this time around?”; “How are we going to prevent Uncle George from talking out-loud trash about the ethnic group represented by cousin Sarah’s fiancé?” Lesser holidays are too easily ignored. Fourth of July is, well, the Fourth of July, which, in these times makes it way too political. But Valentine’s Day? Who gets stressed out about giving or getting a box of chocolates, a bunch of roses, a nice big card? It’s the perfectly pleasant occasion to jettison angst and play the heart/love theme to the max.
If we don’t take some corrective measures soon, we’re going to over-load the mental healthcare system. By the time November rolls around, we’ll be in a terrible fix if we don’t smell more roses, say “I love you” more than “I hate [you know who],” walk more under the stars with a loved one, and inhale more fresh air than the volume of smoked-filled hot air we exhale.
So, take a Valentine’s Day breather. Reset, regroup, re-vitalize. Take some virtual valium, enjoy the card, the candy, the roses, the chance to say, “I love you.”
Happy Valiumtime’s Day!
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© 2020 by Eric Nilsson
