I can't run from this (and neither can you)

Josh Johnson’s closing statement in his recent set is a powerful one.

If you don’t know who he is, he rose to popularity as a part of “The Daily Show” and has been doing his “Flowers” tour across the US and some parts of the world. The way he delivers his take on current events is nothing short of captivating. With a deft combination of personal stories, comedy, and straight up factual information, his sets take audiences into the details of the day.

His recent one on the conduct of Trump in the UN as well as his continued assault on the First Amendment did not disappoint.

It also reminded me of something about myself that I’ve been grappling with for the past few years.

But not anymore.

A dangerous trait (flaw?)

I’m not tough, but I don’t give up.

I’ve mentioned this a few times before in my writing, but as I close in on my 500th article, the evidence of that speaks for itself.

I live in a Red State, and I feel a bit like a blueberry floating in a see of Kool-Aid at times; a fruity little piece of nature bobbing up and down on an artificially-flavored concoction wondering if there are others out there.

I can tell you right now that there are, and there are more of them than you think. That’s why I’m not giving up on this country. We aren’t, in reality, as isolated from each other as the technocracy wishes for us to feel. Social media has been slowly separating us into little bubbles. The thing is…little bubbles tend to form bigger ones when they get bunched up for long periods of time.

It’s part of our inner workings to be social. We crave connection to others. If you’ve ever read about experiences in isolation, then you have an idea of what solitary confinement does to mental health. It’s a torture that seen as worse than death. It’s what a vast majority of the algorithms for social media are designed to do now. You know what they say about the road to hell, right?

I find myself struggling at times to find the good in what is happening, and the only thing I can say right now is that we are living in history day by day. What we do from one moment to the next will eventually bring about exactly what we deserve, both as a society and as a country…and ultimately the world. It’s not a fun prospect, but the truth is that we are defined by our choices.

I can only do what is best for my family in the long-term.