An elegy for the elections

Dear readers,

Thank you for gathering here today. We have assembled to commemorize the latest elections. It was truly peak democracy, even though we close this chapter with sadness in our hearts.

Although the past 3 weeks went by fast, nothing could have prepared us, in our bubble, for this outcome. There were plenty of reminders throughout the weeks. Predictions, positive outcomes, negative outcomes, debates about things that seemed to matter a lot at one point and less at another.

You were elusive. Seemed unpredictable and stubbornly common. Who would lead and who would follow. Surely, many households, friend groups and colleagues carried out discussions at dinner and lunch tables. You were the talk of the town, probably not because people were looking forward to you but more so to have it over with.

And then you came. I remember the grey sky that morning. My reluctance at having to make a choice. The fleeting feeling of thinking I could make a difference. And in some small way we all did of course.

But then came the ashtonishment. The all too familiar feeling of being confronted with your own limits. Disbelief at the situation. Scrolling on social media for people who felt the same, expressed in funny memes to soften the message. Worrying about possible implications of the whole situation.

Shall I move sooner than I was planning? Does moving even help? Is it a serious solution to consider? I am not sure what makes sense now or in the future.

I firmly believe in representation. But if the representation feels agressively targeted to groups that I belong to, it makes things difficult. The election had to happen, but the result should not have happened. Hopefully everyone has some peace, we will need it in the coming years.