Change…
Sometimes, life doesn’t play out the way you think, or hope, that it should. Sometimes, it does. Am I disappointed in the results of last night’s election? Of course. Half of our great country is. The other half is having a good day. Good on ’em. They got the results that they wanted, at least for the short term. How those results will parlay into the change that they seek remains to be seen. What’s done is done, for sure, and it’s time to move on and hope for the best. Sure, I am in shock, as many are, and I worry for the millions of people who placed their vote hoping for a change for the better; it’s a change that may not come. I am worried for those people that live with inequality, because this election has given rise and permission to those who would further that inequality, with an option for violence front and center. Change on many fronts is coming, as demanded and received by a vast number of voices yesterday, but it’s a change that holds a great deal of uncertainty for countless others, for a myriad of reasons.
Although the start to my day was not what I had thought it would be when I 
went to bed last night, I soon remembered that my routine here on the Farm did not change overnight. I still had three sets of dog eyes reminding me that they were waiting for their breakfast, followed by a romp in the yard. I heard the wails of the wee donkeys echoing out of the barn, wanting attention and freedom from their stalls. I knew that Alex, Diva and Sassy would be waiting by the gate to the field for their morning hay and ear scratches. Planting the last of the garlic and clearing the garden for Spring was also on the agenda for my day, as was the usual daily cleaning of stalls and paddocks. Somewhere in all of that, I would take a trip into town for chicken grain and shavings to mulch the garlic bed when I finished planting. Any gaps would be filled in by numerous other chores that needed to be done. And at the end of the day, when the Man comes home from work, we will wonder what to have for supper, and after tucking all of the critters into various stalls, rooms, and cages, we will settle in to watch a movie. The dogs will gather around us on the couches, and maybe I will build a fire in the stove to take the chill out of the Fall air. It’s a routine that doesn’t change much from day to day, even if it happens to be the day after a doozy of an election.
I fully realize that the decisions that other people make are based on their life experiences, current situations and/or the hope for a better future. I am no different, so I do not hold that against them. The life that the Man and I have built together here on the Farm is based on all of those factors, so why it should it be different for anyone else? It isn’t. What is different is that while one candidate promised that the life we have built would remain with no threat from the government or religious fanatics, the other promised to dismantle our marriage, take away our rights, and return us to the days of having to worry about our personal safety. But I get it, I really do. It’s self preservation at it’s finest, and no amount of reasoning works once someone has their knickers in a twist, no matter if it’s an educated, well informed twist or one based on fear and lack of understanding. It’s all about perspective, and what is important to me may not be important to others, including family. It just so happens that what is a big deal to me is being able to walk down the sidewalk without fear of harassment or physical harm.
Change has come, for sure, and time will tell how it effects the Man and me in the future, if at all. What hasn’t changed, though, is the love that we share, and the unwavering commitment to each other. Come what may, at the end of the day, that is all that matters. This bond we share is built upon the same principles of many of the votes cast yesterday. Past experiences and hope for the future. While we wait for that future, however challenging it may or may not be, we will still be building this world we call “The Farm”. We will continue to foster all who enter this world of ours, both human and animal, because that is what we do, and it’s who we are. It is our chosen path.
Yesterday, millions of people took a stand in an effort to have more control over or change their own path. That is their right, and I support their right to vote for the person that can help them to a better place in life. My place in life is right here, at the Farm, with the man that I love, and there is nothing about it that I would change if I could. I am happy with the choices that I have made in life that have led me to both where and who I am. For the multitudes of people who voted for their own path yesterday, I truly hope that the choice that they have made is the right one. For them, and for us…
Me and the Man... 