Why I’m ignoring Inauguration Day: Choosing service over scrolling
Inauguration Day, 2025. For some of us, it’s a day of celebration and renewed hope. For others of us (hi, frenz!), it’s a grim reminder of the direction the country is heading. For me, it’s something I’ve chosen to ignore completely.
This is not an act of apathy, but one of mental discipline and media hygiene. Choosing where I place my energy and focus is my way of reclaiming agency in an era where despair and doomscrolling seem to dominate every news cycle.
Last fall after the election, I made a choice: instead of getting lost in the overwhelming macro (national politics, global crises, systemic failures) I would lean deeply into the micro. My mantra became hyper-local service. What can I do, right here and right now, that brings about even a sliver of positive change? How can I show up for my immediate world?
This shift has not only brought me clarity but has also grounded me in a way I hadn’t expected. Here’s what that looks like in my life:
Picking up trash in my hood
It’s a small thing, but it’s my thing. I walk the alleyways and sidewalks of my dense urban neighborhood with my trusty claw and a bag, scooping up discarded cans, food wrappers, plastic joint tubes (to my fellow stoners: please stop being slobs! you’re making us all look bad!), and other detritus-y crap.
There’s something oddly satisfying about transforming a trashed-out stretch of pavement into something tidy. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s tangible. It’s tangible. It’s something I can point to and say: “I made this better.”
When I’m out with my dog, I take it a step further… I call it “pooping it forward.” I use my small dog’s poop bag to collect those rogue poops forgotten by others. It’s silly (maybe even gross?) but it’s one small way of contributing to the lives of the folks in my neighborhood.
Caregiving for a friend with breast cancer
This past week, a close friend (a single mother of three) underwent a double mastectomy. When she asked me to step in as her support coordinator, I didn’t hesitate... I mean, I used to manage Medium’s Boost Nomination Program, so y’all KNOW I know how to wrangle a community of folks! My role is to ensure the network of volunteers she’s gathered can effectively support her. (PRO-TIP ASIDE: giveinkind.com, a platform designed for coordinating help, has been a lifesaver!)
Today, I’ll spend six hours assisting her post-op: helping her get comfortable, managing meals, making sure the meds are on time. Caregiving and coordination is hard work… but it’s also profoundly meaningful. I can’t cure cancer or change who’s president, but I can help this one person feel a little less alone in her fight.
Noticing grace in tiny moments
This might be the most important practice of all. In a time when the world feels unspeakably heavy, I’ve doubled down on noticing what’s light. A bird perched on a wire. The scent of jasmine wafting from someone’s garden. The way the morning sun hits the side of my coffee mug. These aren’t grand epiphanies. They’re fleeting, quiet moments of beauty that remind me to stay in the present. Grounding myself in these tiny joys feels essential right now. It’s a way of saying to myself: “Yes, the world is hard. But this…this is good.”
I want to be clear about this: Focusing locally doesn’t mean I’m unaware of the larger issues. I care deeply about the state of the world, and pay to subcribe to The Guardian and read it daily (this article today was particularly good!). But doomscrolling social media or drowning in despair over breaking news doesn’t make me a better advocate or a more engaged citizen. It just leaves me drained and defeated.
By narrowing my focus, I’ve found ways to contribute that feel sustainable. I’m not fixing everything. I’m not even trying to.
I’m simply doing what I can with what I have, where I am.
This kind of shift won’t feel right for everyone, and that’s okay. Some people thrive on staying informed about every policy change, every international development, every ripple of cultural upheaval. I respect that. But for me, staying hyper-local is how I can stay functional, hopeful, and engaged without collapsing under the weight of it all.
BTW: If you think this is virtue signaling, I’m fine with that… if this inspires one person to put down their phone and go pick up some trash, I’m here for it.
So, on this Inauguration Day, I won’t be watching the news. I won’t be posting hot takes or dissecting speeches. Instead, I’ll be out in my neighborhood, claw in hand, making my little corner of the world a tiny bit cleaner. I’ll be sitting with my friend, helping her navigate the aftermath of a life-altering surgery. I’ll be pausing to breathe in the scent of jasmine and marvel at the resilience of a flower growing through a crack in the concrete.
It’s not a grand plan. It’s not a revolution. But it’s mine. And for now, it’s enough.
