Brexit: Don’t tell me to get over it

Reading posts and comments from people asking others to “get over it, it’s happened, we need to move on” is becoming infuriating.

I understand hateful names have been used to sum up the people who voted out. That’s something I’ve never subscribed to and it’s not the road I choose to go down or even agree with.

A lot of people, including myself, are hurting right now. And we’re hurting hard! We’re angry, upset and in total shock with what has happened. To be told I need to “stay united and move on” just winds me up even more.

Understand this; Everyone who voted out has taken away something so precious to me I would absolutely give up everything I own and do whatever it takes to get it back again. This is something so valuable it doesn’t have a price. So special it defines who I am as a person. This is my British EU Passport, taken by a decision other people have made and there’s nothing I can do about it.

I’m fuming, upset and angry all at the same time. Get over it? At least give me a couple of days, even a week.

Time is a healer and a LOT of time is needed to heal some very deep wounds.

Do not expect me to take this without a fight. Do not expect me to be happy when I watch the news and hear “I didn’t think my vote counted”. Do not expect me to stay united when the value wiped of the UK stock market could have paid for EU membership for the next 10 years. Do not expect me to “get over it” when I have to move to another country for at least five years to become an EU citizen again. Do not expect me to unify when I’ve lost everything I stand for as a person.

Do expect this to get worse. Do expect me to get angry when Article 50 is enacted. Do expect me to be upset when I’ve lost my freedom of movement. Do expect the other 48% to remain emotional while the process of untangling our country from the EU happens over the next 2–3 years. Do expect emotions to be running very high. Do expect this to remain a contentious issue.

I’m not a negative person, I’m very passionate and emotional, there is a difference. I’m writing this because you have to understand, right now, I feel I’ve lost my identity, my place in the world and my pride for being British. These are so fundamental to me I have to take stock and re-think what happens now.

I understand all of the above is negotiable between the UK and the EU, we may not come out of this as bad as I think. But I have to prepare for the worst and only hope for the best. The mental and emotional toll is draining. A lot of time is needed.

I know this all sounds overly dramatic and I really don’t care if you think I’m overreacting but that’s exactly the point I’m trying to make. It’s going to be quite some time before I can actually process this with a clear head. So please, in the meantime, don’t ask me to stay calm, stand united or except what’s happened.

On be half of all the passionate 48%, Jack.