To Those Who Ground Me, Take a Message Back From Me...

I don't remember the first time I listened to the Wicked soundtrack and heard Idina Menzel delivering her chill-inducing performance of "Defying Gravity." I do remember the first time I saw Wicked live. As the actress portraying Elphaba belted out "Nobody in All of Oz, No Wizard that there is or was is ever gonna bring me down," I cried. ...partially because I was 6 months pregnant and riddled with pregnancy hormones, but also because the character's fear and excitement and despair and hope were overwhelming me, body and soul, through her song.

Every day since January 20, 2025 has felt like an onslaught of horrific information. There have been swift, hateful, emotionally-fueled reactions from people on both sides of the political aisle. The information being provided by politicians and even some of our most trusted media outlets is, for the most part, biased. When you add in all the reels and memes and social media posts, it begins to feel like you are standing in endless sea of angry voices: each one louder and more patronizing than the last.

Like so many of you, I was quickly overwhelmed. In an attempt to get my feet back under me, I started listing out 4-5 items each day that stood out as significantly askew from my moral north. I searched each of my listed items and read 8-10 articles related to these respective topics. I began sharing summaries of my findings on social media. 

This daily task quickly became an outlet with which I could ground myself and feel as if I had some semblance of control in a situation where I would otherwise spiral. And after receiving messages from friends about how my lists were helping them as well, I began to wonder if maybe I could use my incessant need for information, my drive for justice, and my written communication skills to help others gain insight through all the noise. ...and maybe ...just maybe... I could create a tiny avenue for productivity and change. 

While my roles of wife, mother, full-time-employee, full-time MBA student, and woman-who-becomes-easily-overwhelmed-and-sometimes-needs-to-shutdown-for-a-bit have dictated that I refrain from researching and posting about political events on-the-daily, I remain committed to my newfound goal of providing well-researched information on the history and effects of the actions and orders of 45/47. 

The goal of this blog is to provide only factual, relevant information, but I cannot promise to be unbiased. I am human, I am not a professional journalist, and I have opinions, thoughts, and fears. There have been several executive orders and comments that have me terrified, horrified, or some combination of the two; and in those cases, I have voiced my opinions. In this blog, I will ensure that any content posted that is my opinion is noted as such. 

My go-to sources are typically the Associated Press (who were recently banned from an Oval Office event for referring to the Gulf of Mexico as such), National Public Radio, the British Broadcasting Corporation, at least one local news story, any white house press release, and the occasional article by a Fox affiliate, NBC, ABC, or CNN. While I am clearly opposed to the actions of the 45/47 administration, I am very aware that our entire government is full of corruption. I will share any relevant happenings, regardless of which side of the aisle they originated.

I will attempt to provide weekly "Since the Inauguration" updates on this blog. I will also be resharing my original "Since the Inauguration" social media posts with references included. Finally, I will be doing deep-dives (similar to my "Let's Defy Some Misconceptions about DEI" post) into initiatives, ideologies, or entire departments falling under executive attack. 

If you are looking for a few reliable sources for daily updates on political happenings, I encourage you to begin with ABC's podcast, "Start Here."  The Daily Skimm or the 1440 Daily Digest email subscriptions are also good launching pads. 

Fifteen years ago, as my emotions spilled out of me in response to hearing "Defying Gravity" live, I couldn't comprehend being just one person going up against an entire system. And believe me, I have no misconceptions that my humble, little blog or social media rantings will ever make an impact so great as Elphaba's in her story. But in the year 2025, I feel a greater empathy for this fictional character than my 2010 self could have fathomed. I no longer believe any of us are in a position to remain silent or turn a blind eye to what is happening in our nation. I have no intention of doing either. And even if my ramblings achieve nothing more than making one person feel seen and supported, it will have all been worth it.

I feel the cinematic release of Wicked, Cynthia Erivo's portrayal of Elphaba, and her flawless execution of those infamous lyrics were so aptly timed for the horrors that were about to be unleased on the American people. 

I hope you will stay tuned as I try to hone in on key issues and make them more digestible. Please feel free to provide feedback or share relevant articles in the comments. My goal is to be informative and honest. If I miss something or speak incorrectly, please feel free to let me know (preferably with links to the source of the information). Hateful comments will be promptly deleted.

Stay informed, friends

-ab