Ungodly Hour by Chloe x Halle is the best thing that has happened in 2020. In the beautifully composed album, the R&B duo branch out to show their audience a new side of Chloe x Halle. Not to speak on behalf of the entire Chloe x Halle following, but personally, I’ve been waiting on this for a minute. Ungodly Hour has everything from the empowering song “Baby Girl” to the carefree, upbeat song “Do It.” I’ve made it very clear that this album is a masterpiece, but there’s one specific song that I wanna dive into: “Overwhelmed.”
“I feel overwhelmed.” Overwhelmed is the emotion of 2020 with so many deaths of iconic figures such as U.S Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Rep John Lewis, Chadwick Boseman, the effects of the pandemic making the extreme disparities in America blatantly clear, and a tense election day looming in the days to come, it’s understandable to be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information to process.
So, in this crazy, apocalyptic year we call 2020 how do we not get buried underneath all the overwhelming news?
“I wish I had all the answers.” The first thing to understand is that no one person is the solution to all of the issues we see in our country. In my experience, I’ve found that the objective of singlehandedly changing the world is taught to be heroic. In reality, one person changing the entire course of history or breaking down complex, interconnected institutions that have taken years to raise up isn’t just unrealistic, it’s naive. Many figures throughout history have questioned the status quo. Many have been a part of movements that have changed history. Alone they had an impact, but collectively they made change. Understand that regardless of what issue you want to tackle, you only have full access to one perspective. In order to attack disparity, you need access to multiple perspectives and diverse inputs on solutions. Understand that you were not born to be anyone’s savior, but maybe you could help build steps for others to raise themselves up. One thing that’s promised is if you try to walk with the weight of the world on your shoulders you won’t be able to take a step. It’s fine to start small, just start somewhere.
“I don’t do well under pressure.” Have you ever heard those “inspirational” quotes, like “Pressure makes diamonds,” or “You don’t really know yourself until you see yourself under pressure”? Well, to a certain extent in my life, they’ve proved true. Take, for example, a time when I procrastinated writing an essay. Regardless of writing it in under an hour, I still ended up with an above average essay. Or when I’m studying for an exam and after hours of revision (coupled with a few breakdowns of why I chose to wait so long to start studying) I take the exam and feel that it went smoothly. Though there are times when I’ll catch myself trying to write another essay hours before it’s due and I’ll freeze. Or try to study for an exam last minute and I’ll choke. See my response to pressure can one of two ways: I rise to the occasion or I freeze. The same thing happens when we are faced with the pressure of reacting to all this news in the ‘appropriate’ way. It ends up paralyzing us. We feel like the sky is falling down and life will never be the same, but what can I do about it? Logically, will you alone be able to end racism, cancel student loan debt, fix the economy, find a cure for the virus, all the while arresting all anti-maskers? NO! And lucky for you, no one is asking you to. Open your eyes and ears because unfortunately the effects of long-standing disparities are all around you.
In the end, it’s healthy for you to take a day (more like a couple of days) to just digest. Delete Twitter so you aren’t reading or listening to things about how awful the world is for a bit. Just after those couple days remember that you have influence. You can make an impact. You’re not gonna change the world, but maybe you can make your life and the lives of those around you just a little brighter.