“In times of crisis, we must all decide again and again whom we love.”
-Frank O’Hara.
As of recently, a great chunk of the world has been in mourning. To Puerto Ricans specifically, the slumps of bad news and terrible outcomes for their future have been increasing. First, the infamous Fiscal Control Board that was assigned to the island under the bill known as P.R.O.M.E.S.A (which stands for “Puerto Rican Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act); then the gubernatorial elections, and finally (the state-only) U.S. presidential elections. In simple terms, democracy has been giving Puerto Ricans the blues and they haven’t able to shake them loose¹. Ever since the economic crisis of 2008, Puerto Rico has been stuck in the pivotal point of a sinking ship that refuses to give up completely. Consequentially, more than 250,000 of the island’s population has left, and those who have decided to stay or can’t leave for any reason, have been forced to carry more weight upon their shoulders and somehow look for answers and means of survival.
And this is no easy reality to deal with, but discouraged behavior cannot be accepted. Now is the perfect moment for everyone to go out and do the things they are passionate about. Music, poetry, art, and anything you feel compelled to create, investigate, and learn from; those are the things people should rely on now more than before. It is at times like these where everyone should strive to be a more compassionate, empathic, and caring version of themselves whilst trying to stay positive with the perhaps currently-hard-to-grasp notion that comes with the phrase “Everything will be alright.” But if you need to manifest your emotions, do so in ways that no one else is directly affected. If you need to grieve, grieve; if you need to scream and shout, do so as well. Don’t try to reshape what you’re feeling to justify the aforementioned events; feel what you need to feel, and when you’re done with it, look for ways in which you can help bring more upbringing and hope to those around you that seem to feel helpless.
If anything is evident or noteworthy in all of this – is the need for everyone to stand strong and to lookout for one another, there’s already too much going on in the world, and this isn’t the end of things. It’s just another rock on this tumultuous road that almost everyone is in. Puerto Rico and its citizens need to be cautious but at the same time ready to tackle on whatever comes next, from bigger economic struggles to more friends and family members leaving. Nothing lasts forever, especially difficult moments such as these. Don’t think twice, things will eventually start to get better.
Some songs to feel encouraged (or overall better) to:
- Help Is Around The Corner – Coldplay
- Keep Your Head Up – Andy Grammer
- This Too Shall Pass – OK Go
- Safe If We Don’t Look Down – MUTEMATH
- Holiday – Vampire Weekend
- Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
- September – Earth, Wind & Fire
- ABC – The Jackson 5
- The World Is Watching – Two Door Cinema Club
- Burst In With The Dawn – Al Jarreau