Nora: From Beers to Tears

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I have a few assignments for various publications due the first week of January, and I'm slogging through the motions to get on top of them before Christmas week, when I'll be out of town.
Instead, all I can do is scroll through Twitter and despair. That's pretty much been my year. In the run up to the 2016 election, I was cautious and quiet about my liberal leanings, worried about my "brand" in a white male dominated industry in a conservative geographic area. Now, I'm not super loud and proud about it, but that's because I'm tired and afraid and feeling beat down about the political process and priorities of this government.

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For several weeks after the election I couldn't bring myself to go out to beer or other industry events, fearful that I would run into a Trump voter and be unable to punch him or her in the face. Or just start crying, which is my annoying default when I'm angry. I'm still pretty much a hermit unless absolutely necessary - socialization is tough for me now, and caring about beer, the beer wars, beer nerds nerding, or hazy IPAs is really difficult. It seems trivial in the larger scope of things. Focusing on such things, for me, reeks of privilege in the face of all that is happening in the country and the world. There's also so much dick-swinging that I absolutely cannot deal.

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And scrolling though social media reading about the dumpster fire of government isn't helping, but I can't stay away. I probably spend 3-4 hours on social media and reading articles linked there. I used to do this to stay on top of the local beer/food scene, but now I do it to stay on top of whatever awful thing is happening today.

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