After the dust settles around winners and losers, the real work begins.

After the dust settles around winners and losers, the real work begins. 

Good afternoon,

Staff writer Marielle Argueza here, still dealing with the hangover of Election Night. And we’re still waiting for a full count not only in swing states to tell us who won the presidential election, but also in Monterey County, where vote-by-mail ballots are still coming in. 

Did your team win? Did they lose? Were you on no one’s team? Likely, there was (and will be) a little bit of winning and a little bit of losing everywhere. So this week’s Hot Picks section is inspired by not what comes next, per se, but processing the grief, the victories and likely the weird little sweet spot of productivity in the middle.

If the 2016 election taught us anything, it’s that win or lose, the real work never stops at the swearing-in ceremonies. That’s when the work begins.

Elections may be the big rat raceand there may be a celebration and a big pat on the back afterward, but all that pomp and circumstance is not the job. The job, at the local, state or federal level, is a long game, the real teamwork between representative and representees.

But nothing changes if we’re all sore losers who do nothing to make it better or pick petty fights. Same goes for being the big-headed overblown winner. 

So cry if you want to, laugh if you need, do what you’ve got to do to get yourself back in the grubby but important work of civic engagement in creative ways.

Marielle Argueza, staff writer, marielle@mcweekly.com