Remember the days when you became excited during presidential elections? Every four years you waited for the time when the election signs came in and you were proud to place your beliefs in your front yard. Conversations were mixed with arguments and a discussion concerning who you thought was right for our future and the future of your children and grandchildren. Some of us had dinner parties on election night. The best parties differed on should be our next president.

We all used to have lives outside of politics, but now every conversation eventually turns to who we’ve voted for and why. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer, file

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jim Fabiano is a retired teacher and writer living in York.

Television evolved. Newscasters substituted our favorite stars with shows that had the ever-favorite logo: Breaking News.

In the past, when the election was over, you were either ecstatic or depressed. This is when our society always turned back to caring for our family and friends. In other words, normality returned. Neighbors started talking about their lawns again.

This past election cycle, the election madness never went away. Our past president’s tweets continued to separate neighbor from neighbor, friend from friend, and even family from family.

I hoped the obsession with politics would go away once the election was over. I was wrong. Instead of falling back into the absurdity of our normal, boring lives, we were kept trapped into a political process that we have no right or need to be stuck into. We all want our lives back.

Whether Republicans or Democrats controlled our government, I’ve always felt pride and respect for the people and institutions of our nation. Today, everything is being questioned on a daily, if not an hourly, basis. In the past, my mornings were enjoyed discussing our daughter and grandchildren over a cup of coffee with my wife. Our most important decisions had to do with what we should have for dinner, or how to best survive the difficult winter months. Today, we discuss who lied.

The past president is more interested in his tweets than he is about running a government. The opposing side is more interested in defining themselves as the opposition than they are about legislating to make our nation stronger and better. The news channels seemed more interested in displaying our past executive branch as one of hate and conspiracies. Most are sick and tired of living through this very dark reality show.

Having a government continue to argue points that have nothing to do with our lives is destroying the America we all know and love. Sure, we have problems and questions about social media, violence in our cities and schools, our health care systems, foreign dangers and an economy that has to be repaired in order to have every American strive for a chance to succeed.

I am not recommending the American people stop paying attention – as a democracy, we have to. But I want to go back to a time when I am bored. A time when my most important decision is whether I need two pads of butter on my potato, or if I should I attempt to lose some weight. I want to concentrate on my family. That is my job.