Though my dad warned about sharing political opinions online, I have to let you all know that I voted for Hillary in this past election; this fact provides important context for what follows...

I will go further to say that I was utterly devastated at the outcome pronounced early Wednesday morning. And I will also say that I cannot begin to fear and despair at the same level as many of my peers, though I do despair. One can never truly know how another feels. Remember that.

But despite my shock and sadness, these past couple of days have been days of learning and acceptance. For this I can thank my roommate, her proud Republican values, and her vote for Trump; the discussions we had in our tense dorm room should serve as an example for those who are willing to accept it.

I watched the election in the common room, she in our bedroom, and at about 1:30am, when it seemed all hope was lost, I found myself engulfed in the heaviest hesitation; I could not bring myself to return to our room. I feared for what she would say when I walked in, and honestly, I feared for the health of our relationship moving forward. I made it into bed in one piece and without breaking down, but I nodded off knowing that the two of us together must break the tension that pounded me to sleep.

I do not remember which of us took the first swing at the silence. But on Wednesday, we sat and spoke for two hours. And then on Thursday, we did it again. There was nothing said with regard to "how could you," or "what's wrong with you," but we did say, "I'm having trouble understanding," and "will you help me understand," and "can you explain to me why." We touched upon all of the issues and why some held greater weight for me than they did for her. That is central to what I have learned. She disagrees with many of Trump's social stances, but the economic and foreign policies of his, with which she did agree, simply held more weight. There are shades of gray we must discern; it is not black and white.

Neither of us left the conversation with renewed values, she still remained quietly pleased with the outcome, and I was still quite saddened by it. The importances to note are the feelings that our discussions did emit.

The tension in the room has lifted, though it still may linger by the ceiling until we sit down and hold another session of mutual understanding. I have been made aware of the validity in her points, that she is not a racist (though I never believed she was), that her social values actually align with the Democratic platform, and that there are internal workings of a person that you will never truly comprehend. We simply cannot ever know another like we know ourselves. I understand the way my roommate was raised, what she values above else, and why she felt that a vote for Trump was a vote true to herself and her upbringing, not a vote for or against anything other than her personal emotions.

And she has heard my points, learned their validity, but stood still with her values, as one should always be expected to. She has listened to my sadness and my attempts to put into words the sadness of a nation, and she has said that she understands exactly where we are coming from -- that she would feel the same way.

I am urging everyone to find the power of talking it through. I can remain sad about the outcome, and I can openly express this around her, but now there is no ill-will. We have eradicated that by enlightening each other. We have learned that everyone feels and acts certain ways for reasons that may be externally invisible. I want everyone to remain true to how they feel, and how they think they should feel, but to realize that we can only get through this together if we make the effort to learn.

Protest all you want, I think it's fantastic, but we can't shun a mindset we have not asked to understand, regardless of how disgusted it makes us. Know what you shun. People don't just spin a wheel and choose to believe what the spoke lands on; everyone has reasoning that they'd like to share.

You cannot back up anger with ignorance. I am angry. I have signed a petition to get Hillary elected anyway. But I feel better doing that now that I am aware of the opposing mindset. Take the time to brood and be angry, to fight for what you know, and I know, is right, but don't do so without listening unobstructed to those screaming back at you.

I will never support Trump or what he stands for. I say this for myself and for those who are suffering a greater fear than I will ever know as a straight, white female. I admit it: there are emotions that I will never be able to comprehend, because they are not my own. I think we have to realize that this works in the opposite way, too. I will never understand exactly what my roommate feels, but our conversations have made me realize that's because it is impossible. We are different minds.

What our country has to realize is that we are stronger together. We cannot justly dislike one another until we truly know who we are disliking, inside and out. Even then, with the knowledge of one another, find it in yourself to not dislike at all. Take the innate way you were raised and the way you love to feel, but realize that's exactly what your "enemies" are doing. People are different.

My roommate and I will go on disagreeing with each other, on many topics that reached our discussion. But I have learned that there is a reason someone who is pro-choice, not a racist, and who stands with the LGBTQ+ community will still vote for Trump. You may not believe me, but that's why you have to ask. There is still disagreement in the air, but we have lightened it and made it passable with our words.

I want to make it clear once more that I have not been swayed even the slightest in my beliefs, that it still saddens me to realize that Trump will be my president, that I LOVE the #notmypresident posters adorning my campus... but I hope that everyone, even the most infuriated and hopeless of us, makes the attempt to learn.

There are some people who may disagree with my sentiments, but I have learned something I wish on everyone, if we are to get through these next four years alive.

My dorm room divided cannot stand, and neither can our great nation. Please discuss; it's the only way.