I’ve started this post half a dozen times now and keep stalling out.  I’ll write a sentence, delete it, start again and hate that one as well.  I find myself lost…floundering about in jumbled thoughts, unable to find my footing.

It’s Inauguration Day in America.

Very few people are ambivalent about today.  Some are more outspoken than others, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who still feels undecided about Donald Trump becoming our president.  Opinions run the gamut, but they run strong.

Here, in no particular order, are some of my thoughts on the matter.

I’m at a loss when it comes to Bear.  She was extremely tuned in during the election and caught many of Trump’s comments.  Bear’s a smart, sensitive cookie, and she was offended by the rhetoric.  Building a wall to shut people out, rude remarks about women, zeroing in on people for their race or religion – she’s horrified that Trump’s being sworn in as our president today, and I don’t know how to help her make sense of it.

I simply cannot deal with one more post, article, or tweet calling people who are speaking up sore losers.  Saying we’re whiny, petulant cry babies who are unpatriotic for not falling in lockstep with our new leader – the hypocrisy is staggering.  I had to dig myself out from under piles of anti-Obama bullshit for eight years.  Citizens who were doing their “patriotic duty” by questioning Obama’s nationality, motives, policy initiatives, appointees, vacation plans…apparently being outspoken about our incoming president is considered more sullen than civic minded.  Sticks and stones.

The Affordable Care Act.  I don’t want to get too far down in the weeds on this one.  I mean, I’d like to think we can agree that all Americans deserve access to decent healthcare coverage so just ditching a plan that covers 20 million newly insured people makes me nervous.  Think you’ve got a better plan?  Great.  Let us hear the details.  (Don’t like my broad philosophy?  Read this to hear why one woman is terrified her kids will be left high and dry.)

Sorry not sorry, but again – it’s not locker room talk.  I don’t care if it happened one month or ten years ago.  I don’t care if he said it in public or private.  You cannot talk about grabbing women by the pu**y, dismiss it, then toss out a half-assed apology deflecting to someone else and expect me to forget it.  There are multiple allegations spanning decades – groping, assault, walking in on naked teens – some of which Trump actually bragged about.  Another sexual assault allegation was filed this week.  A suit, tie, and fat bank account do not change the content of a man’s character, and Trump’s character has too many flaws for my comfort.

I’m fairly confident I could say the paragraph above to Trump himself and he would not give a rat’s ass about my opinion.  Some say that makes a good politician…having a tough skin is part of the game.  But I’m troubled by the thought of a president who doesn’t seem to believe in the importance of hearing all perspectives.  Good listening skills should be a presidential prerequisite.

I’ve had more than a few people tell me I need to reserve judgement.  That I should wait and see what kind of president Trump is before I jump to conclusions.  Except this isn’t jumping.

When someone shows you who you are, believe them.  Words to live by.