Trump says don’t be afraid of Covid. Even the pope says that’s crazy from a man whose disrespect for the virus has caused tremendous harm to the human family. Thing is, Trump’s got a point. Though his meaning of don’t be afraid is on another planet from my own.
There are endless reasons to be mindful of Covid, respectful of Covid, aware of the potential harm of Covid. And all that is possible without being brutalized by the fear of it. The contamination spreads not from a lack of fear, but from a lack of attention, a lack of honest engagement, a lack of common sense you might say.
Of course this isn’t Trump’s meaning at all.
There’s no humor in the irony that every utterance of Trump is an expression of fear. Trump may never have taken a breath free of fear.
How do I know?
Trump is my brother, a fellow addict. And all addiction, no matter the manifestation, from drugs to perfectionism––or in Trump’s case, self-aggrandizement—is an attempt to escape the pain, and fear, of not being enough. There isn’t a moment in our life as an addict when that escape is not our primary motivation. There’s a hole inside of us we are unable to fill, try as we might with actions that distract rather than illuminate.
Some of us, like Trump, don’t think it’s possible for that hole to be filled, believing we’re not just damaged goods, but fatally flawed. Others, like the millions of successfully recovering addicts the world over, including myself, have learned the opposite. That wound can be healed.
Trump is very likely the most dramatic, flamboyant, and dangerous example of an addict on the world stage at this time.
A healthy response to Trump is not scorn, or hatred, or demonization, though the needle without venom that Andy Borowitz delivers I find refreshing. Biden calling Trump a clown isn’t helpful. He’s not a clown. He’s ill.
But my point is not Trump; it’s you and me and our relationship with fear, about which I would like to offer a single idea.
Unmanaged fear inhibits the love that is necessary to learn deeply from anything, especially adversity. For it is that deep learning, learning from our experience, our greatest teacher, that strengthens our ability to respond with the utmost leverage to whatever life presents––leverage that is rooted in the heightened perception of a calm, peaceful heart.
This is the message, and example, our nation yearns for at this time, and Trump is not wired to provide.
Can Biden? More than Trump for sure. By a long shot we hope.
But there’s a deeper question than whether Biden can do what Trump cannot.
That question is whether we can.
Our answer creates our life.
Steve, this is one of the most astute analyses I’ve read. I’m not an addict (at least not that I’m aware of) but I do enjoy tripping through astrology. Trump is a gemini, which means he talks a lot, holds grudges, and lashes out. (I know because I, too, am born under the sign of gemini.) Worse, he was born in the Chinese year of the Dog. Every dog I know is fearful, and fearful dogs attack (I had a springer spaniel like that). I taught with a Leo Dog who was terrified of the dark. When our reviews were posted, he asked me to read them first in case some of them were negative and then to warn him. Even the Leo lion couldn’t rescue him from his trepidation.
You are so correct about the black hole of fear in these folks. Trump is deeply flawed and maybe even, as you suggest, ill. I do have to think about how he was raised, however. His father taught him to have the killer instinct, rather like fighting dogs who try to overcome weaker dogs just to stay alive themselves. Trump is, IMO, fighting for his life at the moment. And it’s not COVID that’s attacking him (although I’m doubtful he even had it); it’s his own people. I pity him and pity also those who blindly follow him and believe what he says. These folks are under the spell of the dark guru Ben Shapiro and turn off CNN and the major news stations. They have been brainwashed to hate with the blackest of hearts.
Someone said recently, “Hate is heavy; love is light.” I choose light both in weight and in illumination. It’s nice to have you in my inbox on Sunday morning. You are a man of light. Thanks for shining my way.
~ Ellie Bryant
Profound, wise and empowering. Still fearful about the loss of our democracy, but you’ve provided a good tool for taking it back. Make sure everyone you know votes
I read your posts regularly and this one has definitely lighten my heart. Thank you for this commentary! Blessings to you and much love, Carolyn