Making it through breakfast on a school morning is a major accomplishment. You get up when you’re not ready then wake up your kids, who really aren’t ready either. You get dressed in something that makes you look more “put together” than you feel, then try to convince your kid to wear clean clothes that are not on backwards or inside out, and not too hot or too cold for the current weather forecast. 

You try to make a breakfast that is quick and nutritious - and that your kids will actually eat. Then you have to convince them to sit down at the table and spoon some reasonable number of calories into their mouths. Just when you think you’ve done it, when you’re finally there and both kids have utensils in hand, food a few inches from their mouths… at that exact moment, one kid will say something to upset the other. 

The spoon drops, milk splatters, voices rise, and tears roll. Fifteen minutes, later you are ushering them into the car with unkempt hair, handing them granola bars because they didn’t eat anything on their plates. 

Breakfast of Champions 

When I was growing up alongside my older brothers, my parents’ strategy to prevent this was to keep us from actually seeing each other. Cheerios were a staple in our household  and my mom always bought the largest, most oversized box on the shelf because… a) It was a good value, and b) she could set the box in between me and my brother and block our view of each other. So instead of looking at him and getting grossed out by how he gagged on cantaloupe or stewing over the fact that he’d hid my Nintendo game the day before, I just stared at the Cheerios box and wondered what the word “cholesterol” meant. 

Sometimes we need a cereal box. It’s good to be able to redirect our attention when something or someone is generating a negative swirl of emotions, making it hard to focus on the task at hand. I think about this a lot when it comes to social media and the 24-hour news cycle. Is this a positive source of information, an essential connection to our modern world? Or is it causing unnecessary anxiety, making it hard to focus on the tasks and people in front of me? And if it’s doing more harm than good, then how can I block some of it out and refocus my attention in a positive way?

The Debate

This week, I’m also thinking about the cereal box and how it applies to the presidential debate. In general, I love a good debate. I’m a naturally competitive person who has worked for 17 years as a professional speaker and just finished my Master of Public Affairs. So battling out policy preferences and leadership styles with oratory jabs and responsive body language is pretty much my Superbowl. Bring on the popcorn, I’m here for it. 

But honestly, with this one… I’m undecided whether or not I’ll watch. Politics has become increasingly divisive and emotionally charged. And I am feeling more than ever the pull it has to divide us personally, leading us to dismiss and discount people who hold different political beliefs. It is also evident how candidates have been harnessing the power of fear, anxiety, and “othering” to win votes. And it’s hard to watch, let alone stomach – even with some good popcorn. So, I’m thinking I might just wait for the transcript.  

Which brings me back to the cereal box. On one hand, it’s healthy to have a diversion that can prevent negative interactions. On the other, though, I feel like our presidential candidates have become the cereal boxes that block out the humanity of everyone behind them. We are guilty of seeing the primary party candidates as a representation of one half of the country. And if we don’t like – or even despise or hate - a candidate, then we cast that emotion on everything and everyone in their shadows. 

An emotional response to what’s happening in national politics is justified and valid. Words can wound and policies can destroy lives. And if you have been hurt or negatively impacted by decisions and defamation, crying out and rising up to express hurt and to demand change is natural, necessary, and democratic. But… there is a difference between advocating for change and participating in all out culture warfare that is propagated by the media, campaign funding and a two-party system.

Don't Let Them Blind You...

There are a lot of reasons why people vote one way or another. For some it’s about the candidate; for others it’s based on policy preferences. Some vote on a single policy, some a broad swath and to feel connected with the community that surrounds them. Some vote retrospectively based on memories of a better time in life, some vote prospectively with hope for a better future. Whatever the case, a binary choice will never perfectly represent the complexity or life experiences and priorities of the individuals who cast their vote.

No matter who wins the election this November, all the betting odds and political polls suggest that nearly half of our country will vote for the other candidate. So, regardless of whether or not you watch the debate, and regardless of whether you vote for Trump or Harris, try not to let either candidate blind you… from the 75,000,000 people behind the box.