|
On Monday night I sat here in my rented cabin and switched from writing the book to listening to the Democratic Convention and I burst into tears. It was the first time in months that I had reason to feel some positive emotion about America. And I did feel it—I let the feelings happen to me. And that is something.
Then came Tuesday night’s roll call. Twelve years ago I was one of the hundreds of delegates representing those in the Great State of California who supported Barack Obama. On the most patriotic night of my life I wept as formalism met pomp and circumstance. On Tuesday night, I cried again watching this roll call of these United States and Territories declaring an intent, a hope, that we might be a more perfect union.
I am longing to feel more things—like the feeling of being in a cooperative society where a group of people pulls oars in the same direction. I started to feel that while watching the Convention. But I’m also afraid to start to feel it, because if we don’t achieve it in November, I think we’re in for a level of emotional nihilism we’ve never seen.
Can you imagine what it’s like to be a child or young adult right now? To experience bewildered adults who don’t seem to know what the heck is going on or how to fix it? The young people in our lives need to hear our optimism, see our determination, and witness our efforts to jumpstart this sputtering democracy. They need to see us register to vote and vote. They need to see us writing postcards and making phone calls and protesting injustices. They need to see that we have tremendous hope. That we believe in their right to live in a better society, and that we believe in our obligation to help deliver it. It is a very heavy lift. Keep at it. I’m here with you, keeping at it too.
Over and out.
xo,
|
