Guess which politician convinced me to learn the 'Boots On the Ground' dance?
Why news enthusiasts need a positive outlet during this presidential chaos
If there is a dance trend on TikTok, there’s a 99.9% chance I’m going to check it out. The problem is I’m a Geriatric Millennial who is at that age where I hate a massive amount of new music. If the song is trash, I have no interest in learning the moves — which is hard for someone like me who loves choreography. From hip-hop dance classes at Bally Total Fitness to Chicago’s Discovery Center and learning dance routines from Kukuwa Fitness and MrHelioFaria, I love a good 1-2-step-and-turn.
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I kept hearing “Boots On the Ground” from Beyonce’s short mashup, former FLOTUS Michelle Obama nailing it (per usual with every dance move she does) and former Vice President Kamala Harris getting an impromptu lesson, but I didn’t intend to learn how to do the dance. I’d learned a zillion other line dance variations — and admit to still being mediocre at Chicago stepping — and assumed this would be a passing fad. But the song kept coming on, and I caught myself singing it long after the videos stopped playing.
But in the middle of gritting my teeth through Elon Musk lying about getting a black eye from his son X, Donald Trump’s horrendous king-like actions that led to a man being trampled by horses and beaten up by the National Guard during the protests in Los Angeles, an Australian reporter being shot with a rubber bullet for no reason other than breathing, the SMART Legislation lawsuit questioning Pro V&V and New York elections, and Israel blocking Greta Thunberg’s group from delivering food to starving Palestinians, I was drained.
I’m also cringing at the upcoming parade on June 14. Flag Day has been a day I’ve celebrated because it’s my grandfather’s birthday. (He passed away at the age of 95.) He and Trump sharing the same birthday is yet another reason I outgrew the idea that astrology is accurate. I cannot think of two people more polar opposite than those two. And I hate that Trump is affiliated with a man I’ve adored my entire life, but I can’t change their birth certificates so it is what it is.
Taking a mental health break from news
Long before I started working remotely seven years ago, I learned early on that news junkies have to have a positive outlet away from their jobs. Otherwise, our brains will be overloaded with updates on the latest bombings, school shootings, rapes, kidnappings, bribes and wars — all of which I covered in three in-person newsrooms.
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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I choose to continue promoting intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. All five of my Substack publications now include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site, not just the Amazon Black-owned logo, to verify this.) If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
I need a break from it all sometimes. Listening to my favorite comedians, girl talk podcasts, audiobooks, thoughtful video interviews, walking my dog, and hanging with loved ones doesn’t always cut it. My go-to mental health expert Dr. Tracey Marks could help clear my mind during morning walks before I do my usual 10-minute meditation — sometimes.
I found myself checking out graduation ceremony speeches from Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Filled with a few jokes, lightweight shade and loads of inspiration for the future, I enjoyed Crockett’s speeches — and she kept ending the speeches with that “Boots On the Ground” song. By the end of her second speech, I logged onto YouTube and let Bizzy Boom show me how it’s done.