Talk me off the emotional/mental edge...
All the issues of the past 4 years, and especially the most recent things this year, and last few weeks - as the crazyness seems to be accelerating - has culminated to a near breaking point for my emotional wellbeing.
I am literally choked up in tears, after nothing more than venturing out to get a flu shot. On the way, in my neighborhood, on a prominent street, i see someone has a battalion of *rump and local repub signs on display, and I feel almost sick to my stomach. All I can think of is disgust, as these signs only proclaim to me 'here lives someone who boldly advocates for hatred, greed, selfishness, lies and incompetence.' Then being as cautious a possible to get the shot, I am nervous as hell of others in the pharmacy: the pharm assistant with her mask just slightly over her nose that gets my info, the common pen i need to wipe down, the attempt to keep distance from the few people that are taking their turn at the desk. Then the call into the little room to get the shot: a tiny little room, where I had seen the pharmacist a few min prior bring in the previous customer, then come out with her and call me in. I am freaking at the small size of the closed door room and the thought of the constant cycle of new people one at a time going in. The gloved hands that it does not look like she changes between people (maybe she does behind the scene, but i did not see - i WANT to see that). then just all the time i had to wait for my in the place imagining what i might be breathing that the mask can't stop. Then upon return home, my spouse sharing (post dental procedure) the suspicion that the dentist seemed to be ailing. WTF. I fear I am losing it - I am petrified of most situations now. I don't want to go for walks in my neighborhood due to the unmasked, and esp huffer and puffer runners, bikers, and kids. Neighbors across the street have various kids over, and chat sans masks up close with lawn care providers. ARRGGH!!! And people in general seeming to care less - what is going on!!??
The only reason i got the flu shot now, was because hoping to finally see daughter and grandkids soon (after a year) which will involve an 18hr nonstop drive in to Texas (:wow
. They and we are soon to start a 100% total home lockdown for 2 weeks prior - but I gotta say, I am still pretty scared of making that trip. But I think if we don't do now, it is only going to get worse and less possible.
OK, this has morphed to a rant, but the election fuckery stuff and the subhuman filth on display (aka *rump and followers) and selfish hateful behavior being displayed in a constant flow of disgusting examples has sickened me to the core. I think that is just exacerbating all this other 'how to be safe during the pandemic' pain that I am wailing about.
Friends, do tell - how to stay informed, and somehow not let this shit cut to the core? 
[apologies in advance if this is the wrong forum. too many overlapping topics]
= new reply since forum marked as read
So I'm probably the wrong person to ask for advice.
Um ... hang in there?
I could not stop crying.
I am sorry about your anxiety over the flu shot circumstances. You are correct to be worried.
All I can say is keep putting one foot in front of the other and go on.
I am a precinct committee person. One of my most reliable Democrats died before he had a chance to vote. A relative has his house now, and a big "trump" sign is flying over the front porch. That set me off for the day. It should not have done so, but it did.
I am also a hands-on, door-to-door campaigner. I can't do that this year. Write postcards. Call. Have yard signs. VOTE and GOTV.
Keep moving. If we lose, keep moving anyway.
I hope I can follow my own advice.
We're only helpless if we let them make us that way. They're grinding away at our freedom and our rights. the only choices are to respond with fear or with renewed determination. To help one another. To realize that your survival helps others survive as well. That the things going on around you are wearing but are not everything. There are millions--MILLIONS of us who are fighting against what has been perpetrated on us by a madman and his crazed minority. I absolutely understand the fear. But it's fear. As the great quote from the novel Dune says, "Fear is the mind-killer." We need to keep our minds and hearts clear and work our ASSES off to oppose the things that would destroy us, and to get to the point where we can prove to those who want to follow the cult that we do indeed have their best interests at heart too.
I'm banking a lot on this election. I know the fears about interference and tampering, and I do fear they're going to cast doubt on everything they can. But I'm going to hang in, for those I love and for humanity in total.
And hey! I love that your family is isolating for you. They believe in their power to influence the outcome of you coming to see them! And btw when you figure out how to safely pee along the way let me know, because it's gotten to be an obsession with me. 
