Running Reflections

Entering 2026 as an American

Nine days into 2026, at the moment of writing this, and already two historical acts of violence have shaken the American populace.

Being that these two acts are definitive of our American history, and that the agents who perpetrated these acts are funded by our tax dollars, it is worth considering the seriousness of these acts.

What do the blatant and auspicious seizure of Nicholas Maduro and the carless and callous murder of Renée Good mean? What can be said about the ramifications these events have for our future (and of our children’s future), if any? What actions should follow our concerns, if we are to take this seriously?   

Realizing Something Must be Done

Despite adopting absurdist attitudes within the past couple of months—concluding that some things do not matter—I take seriously the blatant disregard for human life, shown by the murder of Renee Good, and the brazen imperialism exemplified by our leaders (who continue to fund wars without prioritizing the feeding of the poor). Moreover, as I write about all this, I am reminded of the emotional and moral weight many of us felt from watching Palestinian people perish, on our phone, and for me, it feels suffocating and unforgiving to continue standing there—aimless and powerless—going about business as usual.

I attended the protests and I attended the rallies, but very little in the way of actionable steps followed, and these days (this time), I feel I can no longer do the same, especially for my own sanity’s sake.

Finding Ways to do Something

I am a father, and a husband, and a son, and an uncle, and a cousin, and a worker; and these roles constrict my timely capacities to act politically, so I am working not only with what I have, but so too with where I am.

I am bringing muffins to work. I am smiling at the people with whom I work with (who seem awfully and depressingly serious) and genuinely asking them about their day and their life. I am gathering with my neighbors and engaging them to play some games and grab some coffee. I am gathering my friends for dinner parties, sending invitations, and making them some meals. I am signing up for Instagram page notifications of some of my city’s local organizations and its clubs, and I am showing up to volunteer and meet people. And I am doing all this because if we are to direct the future of this country, lead it in a better direction (and reign in the politically violent and powerful actors), then it will have to be (can only be) accomplished alongside others, cooperatively.

It would be absurd to believe that our general populace can achieve this moral imperative without cooperation—without each other. If we are lacking in connection to our friends, our family, our neighbors, and our workers, then it would hardly be surprising that one would feel like the human race, or American Society, is definitively cooked—that there is no hope in trying to make a positive effect because we are doomed to fail anyways.  

Looking Forward and Warding off Doomerism

Doomerism only works if one is disconnected from the social fabric underlying the capacity to enact radical-social change; but if we feel absurdly hopeful (and daring), then “sacrificing” whatever time we can muster (to connect and foment real relationships) will define not only our ability to ward off hopelessness, but so too will it define how likely we are to defeat our morally bankrupted leaders.

If we are to take these recent incidences seriously, then it must be dealt with realistically and responded to actionably by building trust and relationships with those most proximate to us. It is not only paramount, but necessary.