Random Thoughts

I was at Lyn2's election party- surrounded by people cheering and crying when the results came in for Obama, but here it is four days later, and I'm still waiting for the good news to really sink in. But I also feel like I'm waiting for
another shoe to drop. Maybe it's from the toll of so much BAD news for eight years running- both personally and politically. My daughter is a cancer survivor, but the year 2000 was a bleak one as she was just starting a two and half year regime of chemo therapy. And GW became president. Before 9-11 I could barely stand to hear him talk, but at least he seemed semi- harmless.Then on September 11th, he hid in an airplane leaving us to make do on the ground.

I was sure that four years later people would have had enough of the horrors of the Bush administration. I don't think I've ever been so depressed after an election as I was in November 2004. I couldn't believe the level of fear mongering that went into justifying an invasion- the loss of life and limbs and torture. And here at home the environment was sacrificed for the oil people and the coal industry; basic rights were stripped away in the name of Homeland Security. Even the right to speak out was quashed whenever possible.

But now there is hope as Mark Noone keeps telling me. Yes, it's a very scary scene the Bush people are leaving behind, but at least they are leaving. And my friend, Eric Brace who has been battling a weird and worrisome mystery illness seems to be on the mend as well. He is hopeful, too; ecstatic about this election which is a quantum leap from four years ago.

Maybe I should stick my head out of the covers and begin to believe that it really is going to be okay. At least we have hope.