I bike to work across the Brooklyn Bridge every day, weather permitting. I love it, oblivious pedestrians swording selfie-sticks and all. It reminds me, despite daily doubts and desperations, that I have made it from a small Swiss village to the grandest city on earth.
That wasn’t what was on my mind, however, when my face was smashed against the wooden boards after I got side-swiped by another biker this week. When I saw the guy pick up his bike in an attempt to stage a quick getaway, I asked him, maybe not as kindly as I could have, but my body still in pain and shock, whether he was just going to leave. At which point, the guy started screaming at me in all shapes and forms. I was taken aback by the anger of someone who had just committed a pretty grave mistake that had gotten another human seriously hurt.
This on the heels of yet another week that has left innocent people dead at the hands of those who are meant to protect us. And they, in turn, suffering meaningless losses by angry civilians.
What is it that that has made our world so unkind? What is it also, that allows the potential leader of the free world to spew hate and vile across the campaign trail and be celebrated for it? That, more than any actual policy is what scares me most about a Trump presidency (sure, The Wall is scary, but c’mon, that can’t actually happen, can it??); the permission to create a violent and unkind dialogue and mental environment for the rest of us.
I don’t have answers. Nor will I be allowed to cast my vote against that kind of discourse. But, as is often the case when we feel helpless, we can start with our own actions. Which in this case means trying to infuse more kindness and love in our daily interactions with people. And I will make every effort to do so more consciously.