One of the great benefits of my current job is that it is really flexible. I didn't have any meetings today, so I was able to shift my schedule and get out for a walk on the beach in the afternoon. We're having a few days of warm weather and the beach was glorious today. I can always feel the knot in my right shoulder start to relax when I start walking on the beach. I often wonder how far I'd have to walk to have that knot come all the way undone. I did not find out today, but it was still a nice walk.
I've been feeling pretty stressed about the election lately. It is partially due to the primary, but honestly I've talked myself around to being OK with whatever the outcome is from the primary. I have my preferred candidate (Elizabeth Warren!) but I can see myself voting for any of them, even Mike Bloomberg whose main benefit in this primary was clarifying for me that yes, there is a candidate I'm less enthused about than Bernie and Biden.
It is easy to get myself worried because I still follow some Never Trump type Republicans on Twitter (I added them back before the 2016 election when I was trying to diversify the ideological viewpoints I saw and I've never stopped following them). They are really worried about Bernie and electability and I have to remind myself that they called 2016 wrong and there's no reason to think they're right now.
On my walk, I decided that since the outcome of the primary is largely out of my hands, I should stop worrying about it. I also did some thinking about what I'll do if Trump is re-elected, because I think THAT worry is the real source of the stress I'm feeling. I figured some things out, and realized that the answer isn't "pack my bags for New Zealand the next day" and feel a little better.
This evening I also did a shift of texting for the Warren campaign. I didn't hate it, but I don't think it is for me. Also, since "quiet hours" start at 9 p.m. local time, and most of my free time starts at 9 p.m. California time... there isn't a lot of time available for me to text. I'm supposed to monitor my list for responses for another 48 hours, and then I think I'll just log out of the system and tell myself I did my part.
Really, this was just a trial run to "break the ice" for eventually getting more involved in the general election. I'm not sure if I'll be willing to text for the Democratic candidate in the general or not. There were only a few rude responses and a couple of people genuinely wanted more info that I was able to provide them... but maybe I'm too old to be a texting volunteer! It just doesn't feel natural to me and hasn't left me feeling better they way postcard writing usually does.
Back to writing postcards, I guess.... That is more my speed.
But first, I have to figure out how I'll vote in my down ballot elections! My election day is next Tuesday and I've still got a bunch of judges and a few local propositions to sort through.
I wasn't crazy about texting because it seemed like multiple groups had the same lists and people we were texting were also getting the same texts from other groups that were not us. (We, of course, had scripts for when people would tell us that.) The danger is that everyone says STOP to everybody or the groups give up before the general. Postcards are nice though!
ReplyDeleteDid you use the desktop app for texting or the mobile? For us the desktop app was way better (though my little sister used the mobile). We also had a really nice slack group set up that had researchers on hand for answers to questions we didn't have scripted yet. (This was through Indivisible-- they have a really nice set-up.)
I meant to vote today but DH did a sleep study last night and did not sleep the entire night and I'm in meetings starting at 10am and today is piano so I guess we'll go tomorrow.
The Warren campaign uses an exclusively computer-based system. They have good scripts and coordination, so I think someone who was in a better time zone and felt better about texting would find this an easy way to get involved - but it wasn't a good fit for me.
DeleteLuckily, there's a new postcards campaign that IS a good fit so I'll get some addresses and write those after the kids are in bed tonight!