lawn signs
After two glasses of wine last night I went to bed, unpersuaded that the wind could move. When I awoke this morning, it was to the news that my yard signs matched the election results. I don’t honestly know if this has ever happened. I do know that I’ve voted for a winning candidate at least once in my life, but it is rare.
The tragedy is that though my ‘circle’ is dancing today, giddy with hope and the promise that we can indeed initiate change, half of Americans are once again grieving. The tint of the purple may have shifted, but the divisiveness is just as sharp, especially in our state (Missouri).
Was it always this way? I remember my parents talking about “them” (the Democrats) with a particular kind of tone. They weren’t particularly politically active, but were very serious about their civic duty to make an educated and thoughtful vote. They were even proud of my brother when, as a young teen, he campaigned for George McGovern. They were crystal clear about their disdain for my brother’s choice, but there was no passion in their disagreement. Was it really a time of less rancor? Or is it because I am now a parent that my own parents’ calm seems so remarkable?
Regardless, the people with whom I live and work are happy today and so am I. For this little moment in time, possibility is alive. After the glow wears off, I’ll return to the harder questions.
P.S. Rumsfield just resigned – the wind really has shifted!
