I feel you. I still read the papers but severely limit watching TV news and commentary. I’m fortunate to be in a place where I can be active outdoors for hours on end, alone or in the company of a few friends. It’s helped greatly to keep me more or less on an even keel.

Some key cases are moving quickly toward the US Supreme Court. I read things written my responsible, knowledgeable people indicating that a majority on the Court recognize they must apply the brakes to this fast-moving train to an Orban-style “illiberal democracy.” Either they will or they won’t.

If they do, we’ve got a decent shot at making it to the mid-term elections, and perhaps Dems will accept responsibility for having lost touch with the valid concerns of regular Americans and seize the opportunity to secure majorities in Congress. I hope this is how things work out.

But if the Court folds, or if the Administration ignores it, then I’m outta here. I turn 76 in a few hours. I’ve fought the good fight since I was a teenager. I’ve organized. I’ve held elective office. I’m deeply grateful that I was able to teach and inspire hundreds, perhaps thousands, of university students over a 40-year career. I need some peace and quiet now. I’m fortunate to have the means to secure it, at least for a while.