The Thrill is Gone

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
-Declaration of Independence

If you're like most of us, you wake up every day, and as the fog of sleep begins to clear, the darker storm of modern America rolls in. Your nighttime dreams vanish, not strong enough to remember, pushed aside by the onslaught of the news day. Maybe your phone is set to notify you of news headlines - it's probably already pinged a few times by the time you've brushed your teeth. Maybe you're a sucker for punishment or an addict to the daily darkness and you started to doom scroll before your feet ever hit the floor. One thing is for sure - Trump has been awake for some time now, and he has no doubt begun his daily release of misery upon the country.

The thrill is gone, baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong, baby
And you'll be sorry someday
-B.B. King

In a great piece in The Atlantic titled "I Should Have Seen This Coming," David Brooks reports:

"Russell Vought, Donald Trump’s budget director, sounds like he walked straight out of 1984. “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains,” he said of federal workers, speaking at an event in 2023. “We want to put them in trauma.”
- David Brooks

But it's not just those darn villainous federal workers, all of us are in trauma. There are very few people I know who aren't traumatized in some form or fashion. Brooks goes on:

Since coming back to the White House, Trump has caused suffering among Ukrainians, suffering among immigrants who have lived here for decades, suffering among some of the best people I know. Many of my friends in Washington are evangelical Christians who found their vocation in public service—fighting sex trafficking, serving the world’s poor, protecting America from foreign threats, doing biomedical research to cure disease. They are trying to live lives consistent with the gospel of mercy and love. Trump has devastated their work. He isn’t just declaring war on “wokeness”; he’s declaring war on Christian service—on any kind of service, really.If there is an underlying philosophy driving Trump, it is this: Morality is for suckers. The strong do what they want and the weak suffer what they must. This is the logic of bullies everywhere. And if there is a consistent strategy, it is this: Day after day, the administration works to create a world where ruthless people can thrive... The truth itself is a restraint on power, so it must be abandoned. Lying becomes the language of the state.

Those ruthless people are killing our daydreams as well. We know now our children's overuse of screentime is killing their senses of imagination, wonder, and self-discovery. We fail to realize that it's killing us, too. It's not enough that our workplaces have turned into a constant meritocracy - our productivity and quality metrics are measured and analyzed every minute of the work day. Management reports even include our restroom time, time spent with customers in person and on telephone conversations. There is no time for reflection. Socialization is verboten, office romance can get you fired.

We are desperate to keep our jobs. Though for many, we live paycheck to paycheck. We're hanging on by a thread. It's not only our effort to pay our monthly rent and groceries... but employment often offers us the only chance there is to have medical insurance, as inadequate as it is.

Tariff reality and the instability of not knowing how much the tariffs will ultimately cost, or on what products, or from what country... is making life hell for retailers, farmers, and consumers. Will Chinese goods ordered now for Christmas will cost 10% in tariffs? 50% Over 100% (like on some recent shipments?) What should farmers plant? How will overseas buyers retaliate, and on which crops? Should consumers buy a car now, or wait until parts and prices come down? Or risk them going higher? Will grocery prices ever come down? ("An old-fashioned term that we use – groceries. I used it on the campaign. It's such an old-fashioned term, but a beautiful term. Groceries. It says a bag with different things in it." -Trump and his big, beautiful brain.)

Small business optimism dipped in April for the fourth month in a row, according to the monthly National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) survey released Tuesday. April was also the second consecutive month in which the small business optimism index fell below the 51-year average of 98, in the poll of small business owners. -The Hill

This feeling of consumer helplessness in the face of business, politicians, and uncertainty, was one of the main reasons given for Trump's win. (he pledged to "end inflation" and "make America affordable again," starting on his first day in office.) And yet judging by consumer prices and cost of living metrics, we continue to trend against the middle class and those struggling below that.

Small business optimism dipped in April for the fourth month in a row, according to the monthly National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) survey. “Uncertainty continues to be a major impediment for small business owners in operating their business in April, affecting everything from hiring plans to investment decisions,” NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a statement.

Walmart, the largest retailer in the U.S., leveled with its customers about the effects of the Trump Tariff war. CFO John David Rainey said in an interview with CNBC last Thursday, “We’re wired for everyday low prices, but the magnitude of these increases is more than any retailer can absorb." He suggested that shoppers would see higher prices by June. Trump blew a gasket... An admonishment to Walmart was also a confession - he knows that no, other countries <sellers> DON'T absorb the tariffs, customers do. He demanded that Walmart "EAT THE TARIFFS," and "not charge valued customers ANYTHING!"

And we'll have fun, fun, fun if daddy takes the tariffs away.

"Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone."

A 31 year old John Mellencamp (known as "John Cougar" at the time) wrote that line in the hit song "Jack and Diane." It was 1982 when he wrote that little ditty - at the peak of his career. Pretty melancholy to come from a young man at the top of his game. At least he made it to 31 before that reflection even entered his mind... There are a lot of young people today who can relate, they aren't experiencing much in the way of a thrilling life.

Hold on to sixteen as long as you can.
Changes come around real soon, make us women and men.

High rents, inflation, unaffordable medical care, crushing student debt, and social isolation are driving young people to despair. Acting Vice President Musk and his Doge kids continue to lay off and threaten 100s of thousands of government workers with their jobs. These are people all across the spectrum. From custodians to PhDs, if you've kept your job so far, you know that the ax could fall. You know that your responsibilities and workload just increased. (Just ask the poor schlubs in the airport control towers... in fact, it's best to check with them BEFORE you book your flight.) And that's a good example - most FAA personnel selected their career and put in some serious years in training. They know that they can be given a pink slip any day, even thought their services are valued, even in demand by the American people. Their associates in the Weather Service, FDA, CDC, National Parks... they all live on pins and needles.

Ask the MAGA crowd if they're happy. Two have told me that "every day is like Christmas!" And I suppose that if you're reason for voting for Trump was to "own the libs," Santa is in the White House. But inflation has not gone away (on the first day that Trump was in office.) Farm prices are unstable, ranchers have sold off their herds due to high grain prices, drought conditions, and uncertainty in the market. Tariffs are hitting retailers and industry across the board, prices are starting to rise exponentially. Some deep red states are getting smacked badly by tornadoes and other catastrophic weather but help is not on the way. FEMA has been "disrupted" by layoffs, but those states expect help - their infrastructure is being hit hard. Not to mention the people in MAGA hats suddenly find themselves in need of government aid. So I'm not sure that they're all Christmas-morning-happy.

Trump is the Troll King. His humor is insults, and his performance is domination. His anger and spite are what keep his crowd satisfied. He screams about "Sleepy Joe," "Crazy Kamabala," "Ron Desanctimonious," and just today, "Liddle’ George Slopadopolus.” His crowd loves it, hoots, and sneers, and laughs(?) I don't call that happiness, but MAGAts live vicariously through his vengeance and retaliation. Their jeers are laughter to his ears.

His mere presence sucks joy from the room.

Last week I worked late on location with a client. On the way home, I treated myself to a guilty pleasure - Taco Bell. (Oh shuddup. I saw you there, I know it was you there at the drive-thru window.) It was late. A dreary night shift was taking orders, slapping refried beans on steamed tortillas, throwing shredded cheese onto crispy chalupa shells, and putting them under a broiler. The place was cheerless, the work seemed soul-crushing. What could this crew be earning? Ten bucks an hour? Twelve 'with experience'? I entered my order on a touch screen... help was available, but you were encouraged to automate the process. I didn't feel much like human interaction. Happiness wasn't on the menu.

My order took a bit, though the taco assembly line never slowed. Read the screen, grab the tortilla, slop the beans, add cheese, add meat product, roll, wrap, sack and repeat. One or two other customers dropped in, and several delivery drivers rushed in to pick up Uber Eats orders from the designated shelves. I sat down to eat and grabbed my phone, determined to find something other than the gloom of menial taco taskwork to distract me. But it was tough not to focus on this bit of fast food theater.

From stage left, a man entered carrying a plastic grocery sack filled with what appeared to be clothes. He walked straight to the counter and greeted the crew.
"Hey Ronnie! How's it going? Hi Janet! Maria!"
The man appeared early-middle-aged. He was not unkempt; his hair was a little mussed, but clean, as were his clothes. At first, I thought he might be homeless, but his jeans weren't torn, his shoes weren't worn out. By the way he spoke and carried himself, I suspect he had some mental challenges, but he was independent and completely functional.
The crew all looked up from their stations and greeted him by name. "Hey Bob. You doing OK?" They broke out in smiles. Sincere ones.
"Yeah, I'm OK. I'll be back."
Bob walked over to a table right behind me. He settled in, and I could hear him fidgeting with his plastic sack. I was curious, but didn't want to stare. The taco crew went back to work. A delivery driver was fussing over an incomplete order. A customer was pissy that the taco sauce container was empty. Bob just kept at his task.

I finally turned to peek at what he was up to. Money was being counted. There were three or four wrinkled one-dollar bills that he had piled up. He was working on counting and stacking some coins. I turned around and let him go about his business, which would continue for a few more minutes. He finally gathered his money and headed for the counter, leaving the rest of his belongings behind.

Another round of greetings. "You ready to order, Bob?" "Where you been - we haven't seen you in a couple of days." "You want your usual?" The crew, most of them, had left their work stations to come and personally greet Bob at the counter. This diverse cast of dispirited burrito rollers were all engaged with Bob, their faces softened, genuinely interested in his well-being. They treated him like a beloved family member. Bob knew their names and exchanged personal pleasantries. He placed his order with the cashier and counted his money with her, just to be sure.

There it was. For 30 seconds - a minute, tops - Decency. Thoughtfulness. Compassion. Courtesy. And yes, some smiles, a couple of laughs - a tiny bit of happiness. All of it from the minimally waged night shift at the taco chain store and a slightly developmentally disabled customer. I had stepped around it. Misread it. Maybe been a little scared or embarrassed of it. Maybe I'd lost it entirely, inured to bits of happiness right in front of me.

But it was there all along.

Even though written into our founding documents, the "pursuit of happiness" is elusive in times of Trump. According to the recently released annual World Happiness Report,

"the United States had dipped to its lowest slot in the country rankings — 24th — after being ranked as high as 11th in 2012, the first year of the report. According to the study, the share of American people who trust others has declined by almost half since the 1970s, dropping to 30 percent from 50 percent. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, a University of Oxford professor and an author of the report, said in an interview, 'The fact that we’re increasingly socially isolated means also that we’re not testing our ideas about the world with other people. And the more you sit around the table with other people who might have somewhat different views, the more you start moderating your own views. The increasing lack of social interaction and social isolation as a result, for a lot of people — amplified by echo chambers — makes people more radical.'"

Stay sharp, look around, and be open to new social interaction. The night crew at the Taco Hut might want to join you in your pursuit.