It wasn’t long before I recovered from the dissatisfaction of having been wrong about the winner of the American election.  Likewise no doubt the people of America – and throughout the world for  that matter – soon got back to work.  There is only so much time usefully spent upon analyzing the reason things happen.  Better to adjust to the reality. Accordingly we evaporated as usual from the apartment this morning in anticipation of the arrival of our housekeeper.  We were however still so immersed in the overnight dismay of the election result that we barely contemplated where to divert ourselves. The car seemed to nose itself independently along the quieter residential streets and country roads, pulling us more deeply into the farmlands along the river, completing the revolution of time and thought to enable us to regain control.

That control is the performance of one’s duty. Political disruption is for most but a cursory influence; indeed it appears from the interpretations of pundits today that the election result was for many purely entertainment.  Trump allegedly “spoke” to people not because of what he said but because of the way he said it.  Another American who spoke on the radio this morning expressively vocalized that the majority of Americans in his opinion have little acquaintance with political issues or platforms.  They are, he said, ill informed.

And why should they be otherwise? The political arena, as important as politicians are wont to describe it, is hardly within the scope of desire or ambition for most people.  We haven’t the capacity often to appreciate the context or import of the wealth of words commingled with daily political activity. For one such as Trump to limit his commentary to flippancy and vulgar communication is therefore not dismissively an expression of inadequacy; rather it is one of currency and clarity.

So when we’ve exhausted our evanescent interest in the niceties of politics, it’s back to work.  Simple too though it may be, the preoccupation is redeeming.  As grandiose as are the political vapours, so earthly and mundane are our private incorporations. The newly fertilized field, though basic and at times repugnant to the senses, is as often rich with energy, relevance and purpose. We must take care of our back yard; look after our modest garden. Get back to work.

Accordingly this afternoon following our return from Equator Coffee Shop, and having completed a brief grocery outing, I restored the visage of my private reality. The domination of obsessiveness and petty trivialities regained their prominence. The film of international politics was reduced to penetrable glass. Bluntness is no longer an embarrassment; instead it signifies the importance of immediacy or urgency. Its blandness is its own excitement.