Healing the Divided Mind

  The world feels fractured, like a cracked mirror reflecting distorted realities back at each other. On one side, the Capitol storming is an insurrection, a dark stain on our democracy. On the other, it's dismissed as mere protest, the ramblings of a few disgruntled citizens. This "fact vs. opinion" debate poisons the well, making it impossible to have a productive conversation. I'm not a die-hard partisan, but I'm not neutral either. I voted for Biden, but I'm not afraid to criticize his decisions. I believe in holding both sides accountable, in calling out hypocrisy and demanding better. We need to ditch the tit-for-tat, the constant one-upmanship that's childish and frankly, exhausting. Remember kids who cried "No fair!" after every game? That's our political landscape. It's time to grow up, to learn how to disagree without demonizing. I went to school for mental health, where I learned the invaluable skill of conflict resolution. It...

  Interestingly, Hollywood seems to be anticipating a future that weighs heavily on many American minds: a potential civil war. In Spring 2024, director Alex Garland brings us "Civil War," a film tackling this unsettling possibility. For roughly half the US population, this fictionalized portrayal may feel eerily close to reality. Unfortunately, I count myself among them. While media often jokes about a brewing civil war, it's a topic rarely taken seriously. But for those of us harboring such anxieties, "Civil War" offers a glimpse into what it might look like, a chilling alternative to the world we know. Speaking of unsettling narratives, Joe and I recently watched "The World Left Behind" on Netflix. This similarly themed film, boasting a stellar cast including Ethan Hawke, Julie Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Kevin Bacon, kept us on the edge of our seats until its abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion. The world crumbles in the film: the internet goes dow...