Food for Thought: What I Got Out of the Trump Inaugural


 

Before you continue to read on, I just want to stress that this is not a post that has political flavor. So please let’s leave the dirty side of taking sides in politics out 🙂

I was one of the millions who saw Trump being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. I am not an American citizen or nor am I a U.S. resident. And to be honest, while I can express my opinion about who I think would make a better President, I’d rather just hold my tongue on this matter– because I don’t have the right to vote anyway 🙂

So while watching the swear- in of Trump, I was more amazed at one thing– that I was watching history unfold on my mobile device. I was amazed because 30 years ago, many would’ve been glued to their television sets to watch a momentous occasion like this. And more than 50 years ago with the exception of those who can afford television sets, most would’ve been listening to the radio for updates on history as it happened. Technology, or rather the advancement of it, is incredible. Today, some honeymooning couple could be watching the inaugural on their mobile phones while on a boat far from the shore, as they rest in between their diving adventure. How amazing is that, really?!

Shortly after seeing Trump take the oath of office, I went through my Facebook feed and read status posts of people. I wanted to see who was commenting about this historical event. Some made comments about Donald himself, while others wrote about the ladies of Trump– specifically, what they wore to the inauguration. Someone wrote that Melania channeled Jackie Kennedy with her look.

melania-in-RL

And underneath that status post was a comment attacking the writer, the comment’s writer visibly incensed that Melanie was compared to Jackie Kennedy. This comment though not exactly written in good taste (less than respectful to the original writer who posted the innocent status message), made me think. The agitated comment poster wrote about Melania’s racy past.

One or ok, two  instagram quotes came to mind here.

quotes1ig

quotehistory

I am quite certain many, if not most of you would wholeheartedly agree to those 2 quotes above. In fact, I see those 2 posts (or very similar ones) often on people’s instagram feeds. Tonight’s rather unkind comment about Melania, posted on a contact’s Facebook wall made me think of those 2 quotes above. Oh and before you think of me as self- righteous, let me stop you now. Because I am not. I am not ashamed to admit that I am guilty of what I am about to discuss too.

We often talk about letting go of the past in order to move forward. I suppose when we say that, many are quick to nod in agreement. But it has become obvious that the whole “letting go and moving forward” act applies only to us. To our own lives. Because when it comes to other people’s pasts (especially to those who have no direct connection with us), somehow we are not as forgiving. We are not exactly as easy on them as we are on ourselves. I suppose it doesn’t occur to us all the time that hello, no one is a saint anymore these days– and even then, saints were once humans who made mistakes!! We have all at some point in our lives, commited mistakes and taken regrettable actions. And I would not even be surprised if many of us are still paying for those mistakes we made in the past, even if there is nothing more we would like today than to completely omit and erase those nasty times off our lives. But the beauty about our ugly past is this– the past’s lessons that we learned are shaping who we choose to be (or not want to be) in our future. Our past should be OUR OWN reminder. And I don’t think it would be fair for us to use someone else’s past to constantly remind them of the embarrassing choices they made and actions they took which they too, might have regretted doing.

I do feel sorry for Melania to be constantly reminded and haunted by her past– for having agreed to being photographed in rather compromising positions. I am not defending her, but she is currently the poster girl (no pun intended) for my thoughts about those who “have a past.” We are way too hypocritical amd selfish a society now. We ourselves talk about moving forward and letting the past stay in the past, yet we never fail to bring up someone else’s faults when an occasion arises. We highlight other people’s mistakes when we ourselves commit them too. Why does a quote like “leave the past in the past” apply to us but from our perspective, not to others? I don’t know if I am making any sense right now or if I am able to connect my thoughts and translate them well for you, dear reader. But I guess for me, this inaugural (and the events that followed thereafter) was a good reality check.

Before we hate on others for what they did wrong, remember that we are not perfect either. But hey, if you think you are perfect, can do no wrong and can therefore call others out on their mistakes, hmm… you just might be a sociopath. And I hear the 45th President of the United States might be one 🙂 Ok that was a joke (sorrryy lol)– seriously though, he’s already sworn in, so Americans and us peeps can just hope for the best. And going back to tonight’s food for thought, let’s all hope that leaders like him as well as all of us learn from our own past actions (that were hurtful to others), and just try to be more mindful and less judgemental and vicious to others in the future.

We gotta start practicing what we preach, right? Sorry if I rambled on and on and am not making any sense. I should just go to sleep 🙂  Good night from Manila!

x
TheBagHag

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