Four years ago today was one of the worst ones I’ve known. I had woken up early, sometime before my alarm usually went off at 4:45 am to go to the gym, and saw the news headlines that I never thought would be possible: donald trump was the 45th POTUS.
I admit, I was so cocky. I’ve been politically active since high school and I thought I knew how it was going to go. I thought I had voted for the first woman President. I was wrong. I spent November 9, 2016 in bed crying and eating my weight in cookies. In 2017 I did a “healthy eating challenge” with my husband for his CrossFit box and lost 12ish pounds. When people noticed I would say I lost my “post-election depression weight.”
But I digress.
I have to thank donald trump for that day in 2016. Those of you who know me will be shocked. Why would Risa ever thank a narcisstic melomaniac?
Because on that day I made a very important decision. I had been toying with the idea of getting my Masters in Social Work for a while. I earned by Bachelors of Social Work degree in 2007 and had been in the field for 9 years when DJT won. But in 2016 I was 38. I liked my job and the people I worked with. Preventing pediatric abusive head trauma and supporting and finding resources for families is right up my alley. Grad school sounded like a lot of work and sacrifice.
But on November 9, 2016 I decided to apply for grad school, which I did in January 2017. I scrambled and studied very hard and very quickly to take the MAT entrance exam. Rounded up 3 letters of recommendation from my current supervisor, former supervisor, and a favorite former social work professor (he still calls me one of his star students). I wrote a huge essay and went through a rapid-fire interview. The program I applied to was cohort style and they only had so many spots. And in March 2017 I hooped and hollered as I read my acceptance letter via email and celebrated with my fellow coworkers.
I worked full-time the entire time I was in grad school (a part-time program) while raising 4 kids with my CrossFit loving husband. I showed up to as many lacrosse games and parent-teacher conferences as I could. On top of working full-time, I did a 16-hour a week practicum internship where I got top marks from my supervisor and worked with a lot of really great people. It was there that I fell in love with Medical Social Work.
And why did I do this? Because I knew when trump was elected that in four years when I graduated there were going to be a lot of hurt people who needed help. Mr. Rogers told children to look for the helpers in times of trouble. I decided to BE one of those helpers.
So thank you donald trump. Thank you for being such a racist, xenophobe, white supremacist, misogynist, homophobe, transphobe, ableist, sexually assaulting, lying, criminal embarrassment.
I went back to school for my BIPOC friends. My LGBTQ friends. My immigrant friends. My disabled friends. My friends who are survivors of sexual assault. For my socio-economically disadvantaged friends. And all of my friends who have been bullied or taken advantage of.
The election and administration of this weakling sociopath of a man inspired me every step of the way through school. And even your epic mishandling of the coronavirus epidemic couldn’t stop me.
I graduated with a 4.0 and passed my licensing exam the first try.
Now that you’ve been humiliated out of office, the work will continue. Because you see, you were just a symptom of the deep rooted problems of this country. You may have given permission to be openly racist, but those racists were always there. As a white woman I am committed to following the Black women/enbys, and W/EOC who have always shown up to make this country better. I’m not a leader in this movement, but a follower who must use her privilege to get to the front and step aside for their stronger and more important voices.
You awakened a fire in me mr. trump. All that I’ve accomplished in the last four years is a credit to how awful you are and it is, without a doubt, the biggest FU I could ever give you. FU forever and in perpetuity. From an Iron Daisy to the most fragile man I know. The end.
IRON DAISY 