Reply #2: Two small reasons to cheer, Mythsaje [View All]

I find your post quite compelling, and I share the same concerns you touch on. Like many of us here I have become disillusioned that we (our country, our people) have NOT learned anything from the myriad of huge mistakes our government has made over our lifetimes. And that we are moving inexorably toward some type of collapse of our own making, driven by the politics of fear and division that has been so pervasive.

However, recently I have become more optimistic about the future, because of a couple of things in my life which may seem small and isolated- but I see as reasons to believe that we may just make it through this dark period as a tolerant and generous people. (At least in some parts of the country)

- My son just graduated from college. Being around him, his friends and fellow graduates has given me a new hope for our future. Theirs is an idealism grounded in the sober knowledge of the huge problems facing the world. They talk of doing things with an eye toward reducing environmental problems, of working locally to make improvements in people’s lives. Two are joining AmeriCorps – working for Habitat for Humanity, other non-profit organization. One will be interning in our new state governor’s office (Mass), another working with employment opportunities for young people in Memphis.

Being around these young adults is therapeutic for me, they were teenagers when the planes flew into the towers on 9/11; yet they are not stricken with fear of some outside threat, they accept that terrorism is now part of their world and are not made meaner, angrier for the knowledge- they are made stronger and committed to positive endeavors in their lives that will make us a better people.

-- The other reason to cheer has to do with an event I went to at a local church recently. It was a community meeting about climate change and how people could do things to reduce energy consumption.

This is a small town in Mass.; there were 30 or so people there. During the event I was sitting at a long table where the minister of the church we were in was sitting with two other ministers from neighboring towns. I overheard the three ministers talking with each other about how they were dealing with marrying gay couples in their respective churches. These ministers were sharing experiences on how to be sensitive and accepting to the couples, how to reach out to them so that they would not feel uncomfortable getting married in their churches. As I sat listening to this conversation which was all about tolerance and caring, I felt very hopeful that at least in this small community in this state people had rejected hatred and bigotry, and that as a people we were evolving to a new generous consciousness.

Not everyone has abandoned values of compassion and justice. In some small ways in communities and towns in this country you can find reasons to be hopeful for our future.

I am.