Adeline Olmer
- May 5, 2022
- 2 min read

I am disappointed in myself

Updated: Jun 7, 2022

So far, 2022 has shaken me to my core. It has left me questioning things I believed to be true—things I took for granted.

Number 1 I NEVER thought Roe v. Wade would be overturned. That is my stupidity; the signs were obvious but I just didn’t believe it could/would happen.

I have no words; I’m speechless. I am in shock.

I believe a woman has the right to choose and it is nobody’s business what she chooses.

What happens if Roe v. Wade is overturned?

Who is going to care for:

A child of incest?

A child forced to give birth to a child conceived by rape?

A child born into poverty?

A child whose mother dies because of the pregnancy?

A child born with disabilities with no money for its care?

Why do we not trust women to know what is right for them and their children?

Number 2 I NEVER thought that Putin would invade Ukraine and that we would watch (on TV) this beautiful country and its people get destroyed.

For what? Land, ego, or just because he wants to?

I have no words; I’m speechless. I am in shock.

I feel intense sadness and immense disappointment.

People are being hurt/dying because of these two decisions.

And part of that disappointment is with myself for not taking concrete action and just watching it happen. Watching and not acting is untenable; doing that means you are surrendering your voice to others and then you have no right to complain—you let it happen.

Doing nothing is no longer an option I can live with. Organizations are out there that are helping and the least I can do is support them by making monthly donations to keep their efforts alive.

It’s not a solution but it is a start.

And every month when I see those sums go through my bank account, I’ll be aware that I need to do more to make certain that the just world I believe in has a chance to be a reality. Because just hoping and wishing doesn’t get the job done; it never has.

Tell me how you feel.

INFORMATION LINKS: Ukraine Woman’s rights by State Woman’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project WRRAP

There is another important thing we can all do and that is VOTE. Voting allows us all to elect the candidates that support what we believe in and that is powerful.

I was just told about an organization; Vote Forward that has volunteers send heartfelt handwritten letters to unregistered and low-propensity voters encouraging them to participate in our democracy. The letters have been shown to significantly boost voter turnout. That's easy to do—I'm in.

Every vote counts!