Functional denial

Notes on sanity tactics.

Yesterday morning, my husband was trying to explain Trump’s latest get-rich-quick scheme to me (a.k.a. his meme coin). I asked what a meme coin was, and he responded with a stream of words that sounded like wind blowing through one ear and out the other. I couldn’t comprehend them.

It was cold and chaotic, even in Chicago, as the president was sworn in. I spent the day reflecting on how I would center myself for the next four years. Attempting to comprehend a leader’s imaginary currency as they take the highest office in the land will do that to you.

I kept coming back to the same phrase: functional denial. A wise teacher once introduced me to this concept. During a time when I felt adrift and didn’t know how to keep going, (I was supposed to be a therapist, despite the fact that, my world had fallen apart) I sought out her advice. “I have the perfect answer for you,” my professor said. “You need a little denial. Not so much that you’re ignorant, but just enough to keep you going. A functional amount.” I nodded.

It’s heads-down, do-your-work time—a time to focus on improving our lives and communities while tuning out the noise around us. In the coming days, months, and years, the noise will be loud. Think bad techno at a beach club loud. Somehow, we have to find a way to focus on the task at hand, a better future. For me, that means tuning out the nonsense and staying grounded. Functional denial, it’s the only way I’ll make it through.