November 9, 2016. We all know what happened. This morning the world became a hotel room with CNN on repeat. The same news story over and over again.
Today every interaction seems weighted with a huge elephant. Even during a contactless payment at Pret a Manger, there is a dark, passing acknowledgement between the cashier and I, as she asks me if I would like a bag: You know, that I know, that you know, that this is a monumentally big day.
The news has remained the same, no matter how many times we look, Donald Trump has still beaten Hillary Clinton to become the next US President. But, while the facts are refusing to budge, our reactions, measured still in hours, minutes and seconds, are changing.
A lot of us began with tears and anger. But once we'd exorcised that with our FFS's, #NOTMYPRESIDENT and poo emojis, an enlightened side of us started to show.
As Stephen Colbert said before the results were called 'Politics takes up precious brain space we could be using to remember all the things we have in common.' Words never truer than of this US election. It took Brexit to make liberal Britain realise that turning to blame, getting angry about democracy and pointing fingers at the other side for not being liberal enough, is actually the opposite of liberal.
The #WHATSNEXT hashtag began this morning as a whining rhetorical question. But it fast became a call for a positive united force for the future.
What's next?
It's going to make us women more politicised.
What's next?
It will make us understand the whys of this election result.
What's next?
There is a new generation being taught the importance of acting and voting.
What's next?
We are going to focus on what unifies us, not what separates us.
What's next?
To keep loving.
At 70-years-old, Donald Trump is the oldest president ever to be sworn in, but one thing is for certain, the next generation will bring change: If only Millennials had voted, The Democrats would have won 504 to The Republicans, 23. The #whatsnext generation is definitely ready for a woman.
Oh and California legalised recreational marijuana so change is definitely #whatsnext
