Celebrating Progress.

Something I’ve noticed recently is people thinking in absolutes- don’t praise Biden because his past policies were harmful. Don’t praise Harris because her past actions were harmful. Don’t celebrate the nomination of a trans woman to assistant Secretary because she’s white. Don’t celebrate the most diverse cabinet because they are mostly centrist.

Look. I get it. There is a LOT of work to be done. A staggering amount to be done. But I choose to deal with progress the same way I choose to deal with anxiety- it has to be broken down into small, manageable pieces.

When I’m feeling anxious, or afraid, I need to get specific about all the factors causing stress. If I try to deal with an incalculable mass of anxiety, I’m overwhelmed and unable to make progress.

When I write out the various things I’m struggling with, as well as some clear steps to address them, I’m able to take a step back and realize my anxiety is not as overwhelming as I expected.

The same can be said for progress. I am hoping for and working on many things personally, professionally, socially, etc. If I think about something I want to accomplish as a huge task, all-or-nothing, I become overwhelmed and don’t know how to start. By listing every goal with various steps to complete, I break each into manageable portions without feeling like the goals are insurmountable.

The same is true of recognizing progress, socially and politically. The world will not heal overnight. Politics will not be truly representative overnight. To believe otherwise is to do ourselves a disservice. I choose to be optimistic, but also realistic.

It is ok to take joy in progress, even while recognizing there is more to be done. It is ok to praise diversity while still hoping and working for more. It is ok to be happy with someone being elected/nominated for a role, even while knowing there are better candidates available.

The world is not black or white. Progress is not all-or-nothing. We can take some steps forward and still take some steps back. We can always do better- we should always work and hope and dream for better.

But we can recognize moments of progress for what they are- moments of joy and reminders of work to be done. Am I absolutely ecstatic with the new administration? No, not for a heartbeat. Do I think the diverse nominations signal an end to discrimination or underrepresentation? No, not in the least.

Every politician is problematic in some manner, just like every human is problematic in some way- you are problematic and I am problematic. We all have things to work on, we all have various levels of privilege we likely don’t recognize, we all say and do things that hurt others. Nobody is perfect.

It is up to us to hold ourselves accountable. It is up to all of us to move society forward. It is up to all of us to hold our politicians to higher standards, while recognizing they are not perfect and they will make mistakes- just like us.

To be clear, I’m not excusing any problematic policies. I’m not saying the most diverse cabinet is not still lacking in diversity. I’m not saying our historic Vice President and other nominees are the best people for the role.

But, we can celebrate the many barriers being broken. We can celebrate the representation we have achieved. We can celebrate the steps toward progress. We can, and we should, celebrate.

There is more work to be done. There are many we must hold accountable to higher standards. There is much to achieve. But there is also much to celebrate.

I choose to be realistically optimistic. I will always hope for better. I will work to make my dreams a reality. But, I will also recognize progress is an uphill battle requiring time, sacrifice, and some backtracking. I will celebrate what I can, when I can, while continuing to work for better.