The morning of November 6 came and the world outside seemed as ordinary as always—people going about their day, the city bustling, everything continuing on. But inside, it felt different. The election results were in, and while Donald Trump’s victory and Kamala Harris’ defeat weren’t entirely surprising, the weight of it all hit me harder than I expected. It wasn’t rage I felt. It wasn’t even a shock. It was more like an uneasy confirmation, mixed with a recognition that maybe, just maybe, this was the election that could be the spark for real change.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the state of this country, and what I woke up to on that day didn’t exactly shatter my view of America—it just reinforced it. America has always been messy, divided, and resistant to the kind of real change that might force us to confront some uncomfortable truths. This election didn’t feel like a drastic break from that pattern; if anything, it showed that the political system is still trapped in a cycle that no longer serves most of us. It’s the same old faces, the same old narratives, the same old fight. And I’m tired of it.
But even though I wasn’t shocked by the outcome, I can’t help but feel like this might be the turning point we’ve needed. Yes, it’s frustrating to watch a country so divided, so entrenched in its own problems, but I’m starting to feel like this could be the moment where we, Generation Z, begin to say enough is enough. We’ve spent too long watching the same political figures, the same issues, and the same promises recycled over and over again. It’s tiring. It’s exhausting. And it’s one of the reasons I’m feeling more and more convinced that we need a change—not just in leadership, but in who gets to lead and how we approach the future.
The disillusionment I felt was tempered by something I hadn’t expected: a deep optimism about what could come next. It might sound strange, given the defeat of someone like Kamala Harris, who represented such a powerful symbol of change, but the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that the old guard—the people who have held the reins of power for decades—have no more answers for us. This system, these politicians, have long since stopped representing the real needs of most Americans. And maybe that’s the point of this election: It’s not about continuing to play by the old rules. It’s about the recognition that the current political landscape isn’t just failing us—it’s leaving us with no other choice but to demand something better.
What I saw in the reactions from my peers—frustration, anger, disillusionment—wasn’t just about this election. It was about something bigger: a collective realization that we are done with the status quo. And maybe, just maybe, this moment, despite all the disappointment, could be the turning point for a new era of political participation. We’re tired of seeing the same old people at the top, tired of the same tired talking points. The fact that so many of us are speaking out, especially in the wake of this election, tells me that we’re not just going to sit back and accept the way things are. There’s still hope for the future—because we’re the ones who have to build it.
Yes, I believe this election shows how weak both major political parties have become. The fact that we’ve been given the same choices, time after time, feels like a failure of imagination and leadership. This isn’t just a defeat; it’s a sign that something deeper is broken, something fundamental about how we engage with politics in this country. But this brokenness also presents an opportunity—an opportunity to rethink what our future can look like. An opportunity for those of us who are frustrated and fed up to step up, to demand real reform, and to finally challenge the political systems that have kept us in this loop.
I’m still trying to piece everything together, just like everyone else. I’m not claiming to have all the answers, but I do know this: I am tired of what old America finds important. I’m tired of seeing the same faces, the same rhetoric, and the same divisions dominating the national conversation. It’s time for a changing of the guard. We need new leadership, new ideas, and a new way of looking at the future.
For all the frustration, for all the pain this election result might bring, I can’t help but feel a sense of possibility. We might not have gotten the outcome we hoped for, but maybe this is exactly the moment we need to realize that the power to shape the future is in our hands. It’s up to us now—not just to demand change, but to make it happen. If anything, this election has shown us that the old systems are broken, and that we’re the generation who’s going to have to fix them.
So, as I woke up on Wednesday morning, I wasn’t filled with hopelessness. I wasn’t indifferent, either. I felt a quiet, resolute optimism. The fight is just beginning, and it’s one that we can win—if we’re willing to step up, push harder, and demand a future that reflects the values we hold. Maybe this election wasn’t the victory we wanted, but it’s the wake-up call we needed. And that, to me, is where hope begins.
