We Are Here: Finding Sanity When the World Feels Insane

Politics & SocietyMental HealthCulture & IdentityMotherhood & PerspectiveMotherhood
Written By Jessica Mickelson

We are here. We are living into what feels like the very last steps of an authoritarian shift in government, and our only hope is truly the midterms. And you may be reading this like, no… we’re not, we’re not truly there. But I hate to break it to you, we are. I wanted to believe that something as atrocious as the Holocaust would look like neighbors screaming and protecting each other on a large scale. I wanted to believe that the descent into an authoritarian regime would feel more dramatic, more visible, like people marching in every street. I didn’t realize it would be this quiet, hitting major cities while still feeling distant on our screens. I thought it would be louder than this—louder than waking up every day, going to work, sending the kids to school, and not even wanting to check what the orange man in charge is messing up today. I wanted it to be LOUD for everyone.

So let’s really talk about it. Let’s talk about how something like the Holocaust can actually happen, what I am doing to protect my mental health, and the ways people are currently fighting against it. Because living in the state of Pennsylvania, knowing how vital it is to elections and how much my vote matters, I feel the weight of the midterms in a very real way. I know my activism counts, but I still have to maintain my sanity. I have to keep my kids informed without scaring them, raise them to be social justice warriors, and at the same time give them a sense of a normal life.

You may be thinking, why now? What makes this any different than 2016 or 2020? And honestly… it isn’t. We told you in 2016 that this man was insane, but for a lot of people, the Clintons felt like too much of the establishment. And I get it, you’re not wrong. Democrats became too sure of themselves, too confident that they would win, too confident that America was ready for a woman president. And at the same time, we underestimated the backlash. Having a biracial president who identified as Black did something to the underbelly of racism that is still very present in this country. America thought it had come so far, not realizing how much was still sitting just beneath the surface.

And I think one of the most interesting things about being a Southern girl living in the Northeast is seeing the absolute disconnect people have up here about how the South was raised and bred. A lot of times in the Northeast, people hear the Southern accent, the twang, and see that we don’t have the same Ivy League pipeline, and they assume the South is full of nice idiots. But what they fail to understand is that the system I grew up in was not simple, it was strategic. When we didn’t truly punish the Confederacy for slavery, when we allowed things like “separate but equal” and Jim Crow to exist without real, lasting consequences, we created a system that didn’t disappear, it just adapted. It sat there, waiting for its opportunity to rise again. And what people underestimated was that Christian nationalism has been playing the long game this entire time.

This Is How It Starts

When you look at the parallels between 1939 Germany and where we are now, we are in those early years. And let me say this clearly, because people love to twist this part, saying there are parallels is not saying it is the same. It’s not. But ignoring patterns is how history repeats itself.

Back then, it didn’t start with camps. It started with laws and culture shifts that people either didn’t notice or convinced themselves weren’t that serious. It started with the Reichstag Fire Decree, where civil liberties were suspended under the justification of national security. It was framed as necessary, temporary, protective. People were told this was about safety.

Then came the Enabling Act of 1933, which allowed Hitler to pass laws without legislative approval. That was the moment where checks and balances stopped functioning the way they were supposed to. It was still legal. It still looked like government. But the structure had already shifted.

Then the Nuremberg Laws stripped Jewish people of citizenship and redefined who was protected under the law. Again, this wasn’t violent in the way people imagine. It was paperwork. It was classification. It was deciding who counted and who didn’t.

And at the same time, culture was being reshaped. There were the Nazi book burnings, where books, research, and ideas that challenged the regime were publicly destroyed. It wasn’t just about books. It was about deciding which ideas were allowed to exist. It was about controlling what people could learn, what they could question, and eventually, what they could even imagine as truth.

Because once you control information, you don’t have to force belief. You just limit what people are able to see.

And now? We are watching a version of that play out in real time. Books are being banned in schools across the country, particularly ones that deal with race, history, and identity. According to PEN America, thousands of book bans have been recorded in recent years, many targeting stories that reflect marginalized experiences. It’s not the same scale, and it’s not the same system, but the idea that controlling information shapes what people believe is not new.

And then it escalated. Restrictions turned into segregation. Segregation turned into forced relocation. Forced relocation turned into camps. And by the time it became what we now recognize as the Holocaust, the groundwork had already been laid for years. The laws were already in place. The narratives were already accepted. The people being targeted had already been dehumanized.

That’s the part people don’t want to sit with. By the time it looks obvious, it is already too late.

And when I look at where we are now, I don’t see the same outcome, but I do see familiar steps. I see laws reshaping access to voting. I see conversations about citizenship and belonging shifting. I see protections that people thought were permanent suddenly feel conditional. I see information being challenged, removed, or banned depending on who is in power. And I see people being told that these changes are necessary, that they are about safety, that they are not that serious.

And what makes this moment even more complicated is that we have social media. We have real-time access to everything. But access does not mean understanding. In fact, I think it is easier now to manipulate people because we are not forced to sit in the same reality anymore. You can always find someone who agrees with you, even if what you’re saying is wild and unsavory.

And that’s what makes this feel so confusing, because it doesn’t look like what we thought it would look like. It doesn’t feel loud in the way we imagined. It feels fragmented. It feels distant. It feels like something is wrong, but not everyone agrees on what that something is.

And that is exactly how this kind of shift is able to happen.

And to make it worse, we have lived through enough conspiracy theories either turning out to be true or at least partially rooted in reality that now nobody knows what to believe anymore. Like truly, when I heard the story about the Florida man supposedly kidnapped by a dolphin named Gerald, my first instinct wasn’t even to laugh. I caught myself thinking… do we actually have proof that it didn’t happen? And I know that story ended up being fake, but that’s not even the point. The point is that I had to stop and think about it.

Because we are living in a time where truth feels unstable. Between AI, deepfakes, and how easy it is now to manipulate video, audio, and images, people are being tricked into believing things that look completely real. And if I’m being honest, a lot of older generations, especially boomers, did not grow up in a world where you had to question what you were seeing this way. So they are especially vulnerable to it. But it’s not just them. It’s all of us. The lines between real and fake are getting blurrier by the day, and when people can’t tell the difference anymore, it becomes a lot easier to control what they believe.

Why Pennsylvania Feels Different

Being in Pennsylvania hits differently for me. I grew up in Texas, and if I’m being honest, it never felt like my vote actually mattered. Even if cities like Dallas went blue, the rest of the state would go red, and Republicans in Texas have done a very effective job with gerrymandering over the years. So no matter how you voted in certain areas, the outcome already felt decided.

On top of that, we were taught from a young age what it meant to vote, but even those early lessons were shaped in a certain way. I remember doing mock elections in school, and it was almost understood who you were supposed to vote for. There was this deep sense of Texas pride that was tied to being Republican, and you didn’t even question it. I will never forget my best friend telling me how devastated she was in college when she took one of those political quizzes and found out she actually aligned more with Democrats. She was genuinely upset, not because of policy, but because it felt like it went against everything she had been taught growing up. That’s how deep this runs.

Moving to a state like Pennsylvania completely changed how I see all of this. This is a place where your vote actually matters, where elections are close, and where outcomes can shift in real time. Pennsylvania is consistently one of the most important swing states in the country. It played a deciding role in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, and it continues to be critical in midterms that determine control of Congress. The margins here are often razor thin, which means individual votes actually contribute to real outcomes.

So when I say I feel the weight of my vote now, I mean that in a way I never did before. It’s not abstract anymore. It’s not symbolic. It actually counts.

What Can Actually Flip in Pennsylvania

If we’re being real, Pennsylvania is not just important, it is critical to what happens next in this country. This is not one of those states where things are already decided. This is one of the few places where power can actually shift depending on turnout, timing, and honestly, who shows up.

At the federal level, every single one of Pennsylvania’s 17 congressional seats is up in 2026, but only a handful of them are truly competitive, and those are the ones that could decide control of the House.

The ones to watch are:

  • PA-01 (Bucks County area) – held by Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, but historically competitive

  • PA-07 (Lehigh Valley) – flipped Republican in 2024 and now a major Democratic target

  • PA-08 (Northeast PA / Scranton area) – another recent Republican pickup that could flip back

  • PA-10 (Central PA) – held by Republican Scott Perry, who has been a long-time target due to how close past races have been

These districts are not landslides. They are decided by small margins, and that’s exactly why they matter. When people say “your vote counts,” this is what they mean.

And zooming out for a second, control of the entire U.S. House could come down to just a few seats nationwide, and Pennsylvania is expected to play a major role in that outcome.

At the state level, it’s just as intense.

Pennsylvania has what’s called a split legislature, meaning:

  • Democrats control the State House (barely)

  • Republicans control the State Senate (and have for decades)

In 2026:

  • All 203 State House seats are up

  • Half of the State Senate (25 seats) are up

And here’s the part people don’t realize:

Democrats only need to flip a small number of seats in the State Senate to seriously challenge Republican control, while Republicans are trying to take back the State House.

That means both chambers are in play at the same time.

And when both chambers are in play, that’s when laws actually start to shift.

How I Am Staying Sane

So how do we reconcile the fact that we are in the middle of losing our democracy while still having to go to work, provide for our families, and function like everything is normal? If you’re a parent, if you’re a friend, if you’re just someone trying to exist right now, how are you supposed to live in a society that feels like it’s slowly falling apart?

This is what I’m doing when the world feels like it’s falling apart, because at the end of the day, we all cannot be doing the same thing to try to save our country. And the hard truth is, no one is coming to save us. Sitting in anxiety and panic is not going to help either. So I’ve had to be intentional about how I protect my peace while still staying aware.

Here’s what that looks like for me:

  • Accepting that my activism will not look the same as it used to
    I have been protesting since I was 17 years old. I have been in the streets, organizing, showing up physically in ways that put me at risk. And at this point in my life, that is not how I move anymore. Not because I don’t care, but because I understand the reality of what I am navigating as a Black woman and as a mother. My safety matters. My presence in my kids’ lives matters. So I had to release the idea that activism only “counts” if it is loud or visible. Black bodies have been proven over and over again to not be safe in public setting, so many Black people are sitting this one out.

  • Staying informed without letting it consume me
    I know what’s happening. I pay attention. But I am not glued to the chaos all day. There is a difference between being informed and being overwhelmed, and I had to learn that the hard way. Doom-scrolling does not make me more effective, it just makes me more anxious.

  • Doing work behind the scenes
    I still do the work. I call my senator. I engage in conversations. I create content for different platforms that speaks to what is happening, sometimes without even putting my face on it. Not everything has to be public to be impactful. And as a Black woman, I am not afforded the same level of safety to be outwardly outspoken as others are, so I move in ways that protect me while still contributing.

  • Protecting my children’s reality while still preparing them for the truth
    I am raising my kids to be aware, but not afraid. They deserve to understand the world, but they also deserve a childhood that is not consumed by it. So I am constantly walking that line, giving them truth in ways they can handle while still allowing them to experience joy and normalcy.

  • Creating boundaries with people, even family
    I have had to accept that people in my own extended family hold beliefs that are harmful. And protecting my peace means setting boundaries, even when it’s uncomfortable. Because someone can love you and still support things that harm you, and that is a reality that I have had to sit with.

  • Allowing myself to exist in joy without guilt
    Sometimes protecting my peace looks like living in my whimsical world of Well Hello Magic and creating joyful content. That does not mean I am ignoring what is happening. It means I am choosing not to let it consume every part of me.

  • Limiting exposure to constant outrage cycles
    Everything right now is designed to keep us reactive. Every headline, every post, every breaking news alert is trying to pull you into a constant state of urgency. And I had to realize that living in that state all the time is not sustainable. So I step away when I need to.

  • Staying connected to real people, not just online noise
    The internet will have you thinking everything is either completely falling apart or completely fine depending on what side you’re on. Real conversations with real people help ground me in what is actually happening, not just what is trending.

And all of that sounds structured when you put it in a list, but the reality is, it is messy.

Because at the same time I am doing all of this, I am still sitting with the weight of what is happening.

I am still thinking about the fact that Black women told everyone this would happen. According to the Pew Research Center, about 92% of Black women voted against Donald Trump. Ninety-two percent. And yet, the group that has historically had the clearest understanding of how systems fail continues to be ignored.

And it blows my mind, because when you endure the level of oppression and stereotypes that Black women endure, you develop a different level of awareness. You learn how to read people, systems, and patterns in ways that others don’t have to. And now we’re entering a generational shift where some younger people don’t feel the same weight of that history, not because it doesn’t exist, but because others absorbed it for them.

I am what you would call a bubbly Black girl, and the way my mom protected my energy is the reason I can walk into any room and be myself. And I’m doing the same for my daughter. But I am also teaching her how the world will view her. The expectations. The realities. Because as a biracial girl, she will still be seen as a Black woman in many spaces, and I would be failing her if I didn’t prepare her for that.

And I keep thinking about what Michelle Obama said, because people heard it, but they did not listen:

“If you think things can’t get worse, trust me, they can. And they will. And it won’t just affect some people. It will affect all of us… unless you are a millionaire or a celebrity, he does not care about you.”

And now people are starting to feel that. Not just certain groups. Everyone.

That also means my white counterparts are having to sit with something uncomfortable. Because what you are feeling right now, this loss of certainty, this loss of protection, this fear… that is something people with Black bodies have always had to navigate. And losing privilege means losing protection, and that is a terrifying thing to confront, but it is not new.

I also have to sit with the reality that the damage that has been done in less than a year and a half is going to take decades to undo. The way the clock has reversed, the way we have leaned toward fascism, it is not subtle if you actually know what to look for. Controlling narratives, aligning religion with government, elevating one leader above systems, using executive power to push agendas… we studied this shit.

We learned about dictators putting their names on buildings, shaping national identity around themselves, and using law as a weapon. And it all felt distant when we were in school. But when you are living in it, you realize how quickly things can shift and how little control you actually feel like you have.

So Where Do We Go From Here?

So the question of “how does something like the Holocaust happen” is no longer theoretical to me. It’s honestly a miracle that it hasn’t happened more often in history. And if we’re being real, when you look at the dismantling of protections that started under Ronald Reagan, it’s kind of shocking it didn’t happen even sooner.

One of the biggest things that rewired my brain was something a friend told me after being in a room with a Supreme Court justice. She said the justice told them: it is not the job of the Supreme Court to save democracy, it is the job of the Supreme Court to uphold the law.

And that is when everything changed for me.

Because if harmful laws are passed, they will uphold those too. They are there to interpret the law, not save us from it. And my mind was blown, because I think a lot of us grow up believing there is some final safeguard, some last line of defense that will step in when things go too far.

But that’s not how this works.

The system is not built to save you. It is built to function.

And if I’m being honest, I’m not just frustrated with Republicans. I’m frustrated with Democrats too. I hate the two-party system, and I especially hate the rise of Christian nationalism that has perverted a faith that I so deeply believe in. Because there are things that should have been written into law to protect people, and they weren’t. There are protections that should have been locked in, and they weren’t. Whether it was laziness, fear, or arrogance, assuming we would never go backwards was a massive mistake.

And now we’re paying for it.

We also have to talk about the fact that America is an island of false confidence. We are large, we are isolated, and we do not have to interact with the rest of the world in the same way other countries do. And it shows. We lack global perspective, we lack financial literacy, and we lack a real understanding of how systems actually work.

And that brings me to the part that people really don’t want to talk about.

Because one of the biggest issues I see right now is that it feels like poor and working-class people are constantly waiting for billionaires to save them. Like somehow, the people at the top are going to come down and fix what is broken.

And that is the biggest lie we have been sold.

Because in many cases, those same billionaires are the reason things are broken in the first place. They are the ones who have spent decades lobbying to undo protections, weakening unions, eliminating pensions, and shaping policies that prioritize profit over people. They are the ones who benefit when wages stay low, when workers have less bargaining power, and when people are just barely getting by.

So while people are looking up at billionaires saying, “they’re successful, they’re good businessmen, they know what they’re doing,” they are not always realizing that those same systems that allowed billionaires to accumulate that level of wealth are the same systems that made it harder for the middle class to grow.

We watched unions get dismantled. We watched pensions disappear. We watched wages stop keeping up with the cost of living. And instead of questioning that, we were taught to admire the people at the top of that system.

That is not accidental. That is design.

So when people say things like “tax the rich,” they don’t even fully understand how wealth actually works at that level. The ultra-wealthy don’t make money the way the average person does. They make it through capital gains, assets, and systems that allow them to grow wealth without the same kind of taxation that applies to earned income. And the average American is not taught that. We are not taught how money actually moves, how power is built, or how policy shapes all of it.

And when you don’t understand the system, you don’t know how to fight it.

So yes, it feels like every day we are waking up to something new. Another headline. Another shift. Another moment where you’re like, what the fuck is actually happening.

But there is still hope. There is still room for change. And there are still ways to be part of that change, even if it doesn’t look the same for everyone.

If you feel like you’re going crazy, you’re not. A lot of us feel it. And it’s okay to protect your peace, your mind, and your family. But it is still important to stay aware, because I truly believe that millennials could be the first generation to fight back while things are happening, not after it’s already too late.

And honestly, we better be.

Sources

Jessica Mickelson

Hi I am Jessica of Well Hello Magic! I am so glad you are here. I am a Disney kid turned Disney Parent, and I am currently raising my four mouseketeers with my very own Flynn Rider. In 2009, we got married and celebrated our wedding day at Disneyland! We are a proud Military family, Disney Vacation Club members, D23 Gold Members, and we always find unique ways to keep the magic alive at home. My primary goal is to help you minimize stress while at the Disney parks so that you and your family can enjoy a vacation that you will never forget. I am a cookie baker, and own a sign business as well. Thank you for being here!

https://www.wellhellomagic.com
Next

When Faith Divides: The Complex Role of Christianity in American Society