When I walked into what was touted as “the most authentic Chinese restaurant in the state of Maryland,” Bette Midler’s upbeat song “You’ve Got to Have Friends” was playing and the waiter was humming along.
“This is funny,” I said to myself. As I often do, I thought, I’ll bet I can get a column out of this. Something about cultural appropriation, maybe. That was the beginning — and the end — of that idea.
It’s no time for laughter. Here’s why.
An ex-student of mine — who, over the past 30 years, has become like a daughter to me — finally managed to save enough money for a down payment on a house, despite today’s era of skyrocketing costs. Coming from ancestors who were brought to this country as slaves, she would be the first in her family to begin the life-altering process of building intergenerational wealth.” The week after Trump’s so-called Liberation Day, my student lost $10,000. Just like that, her hard-earned savings fell from $55,000 to $45,000. She was devastated — after all that work, she could no longer afford to follow through on the offer she’d already had accepted.”
Her story is just one example.
This is happening right here, right now to tens of thousands of people. Just like in pre-Nazi Germany, many of us believe the erosion of democracy and norms can only go so far. In 1935, people said, “It can’t happen here.” Then, “It can’t get any worse.” And then … the rest is history.
It’s already in motion.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia — coincidentally a Maryland resident — was legally living in the U.S., a father of young children, a working man with no criminal record. Originally from El Salvador, he was mistakenly deported and is now being held in a Salvadoran prison notorious for human rights abuses and horrid conditions.
In a callous disregard for one human life, the Trump administration is refusing to correct this egregious mistake.
It starts with one person. If we ignore this, the door opens — first to a trickle, then a flood.
The Talmud says, “If you save one person, it is as if you saved the whole world.” The reverse is also true: “If you lose one person, it is as if you lost the whole world.”
Elie Wiesel wrote, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”
So the question is: How do we stay awake to what is unraveling before our very eyes — and not let the panic destroy our emotional and physical health?
Give money. I’ve heard plenty of people say they don’t believe in giving to charities: “I don’t know if the money actually gets to where it’s supposed to go.” That’s a valid concern. But one thing is certain — if you don’t give at all, there’s zero chance of it going where it is supposed to. Donate to one of the many organizations resisting the daily debacle coming from the current administration.
In any 24-hour news cycle, there’s may be an hour of actual news. So what fills the other 23 hours? Endless repetition of that one hour, dissected and spun until it’s just noise and fear cranked up to a panicked din. Stay informed about the real news, then go do something that makes you happy.
After today — two weeks beyond the so-called Liberation Day — I’ve finally freed myself from constantly checking the turbulent, bumpy ups and downs of my dwindling fortunes.
It’s a scary time.
In moments like these, I always think of what my father, born in 1902, used to say whenever he faced a challenge. “When you’re in the water, swim.”
See you on shore when the tide changes.
Join the family! 
