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Marjorie's avatar

When I was a college student in Manila in 1989, then-president Corazon Aquino experienced her 8th and most serious coup d'etat. I woke up to the sounds of gunfire in the near distance, my cousin bursting into the bedroom I shared with my brother and exclaiming, "We're at war!" (She actually said this in English, which even then I thought was funny and interesting.)

Later that day, my mother took me, my brother, my cousin, and my aunt to the grocery store. Only one of the double doors of the entrance was open -- an armed soldier told us that it was closing soon due to the pending hostilities, but we could run in and shop if we hurried. We had maybe 15 minutes.

So we bought the usual things: rice, vegetables, some canned goods, candy. People don't hoard in the Philippines, even under the cloud of war. Our homes are too small, our fridges too cramped. We shopped like any other day.

Crisis can hang over you like an angry cloud, red and ominous, but the necessities in life are necessities for a reason. We have to maintain them, for our sanity, for any sense of normalcy, and yeah, we have to eat and drink and take care of our families.

This is not a normal time in America. I don't think America is going to be "great" again anytime soon, not for anyone outside of Trump's tight, sycophantic orbit. Not even for his supporters. But we'll still need to eat, drink, take care of our families. It's going to hurt, but we'll get through this.

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Katy Matthews's avatar

Really great phrase and I love that you are using it in ways that are good for you but might mean some work on your part. Plus I am here for Team No.

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