Like many, not quite half the country. I woke up Wednesday morning to the disheartening news that Donald Trump won his presidential bid.

Living in a liberal leaning area in a very blue city in a mostly blue state, I exchanged glances with neighbors as I walked my dog and tried carrying on as if things were normal.

Some have forwarded the opinion that people struggling under inflation felt compelled to vote for change. I would argue that there is nothing inflation-fighting about Trump’s proposed tariffs, and his plans for mass deportation will cost plenty that working class families will end up paying for.

I was upset by the analysis of turnout. Men of every age and  ethnicity seemed to come out for Trump, which, I believe is less about policy than it is about the inability to support a woman as a political leader no matter how much she’s better qualified or represents their better interests.

I chatted a bit with familiar faces while our pooches carried on with their butt-sniffing rituals. (Thank God, for the grounding nature of having a pet.) We forced jokes, but we shared a fear, an apprehension about what comes next…