Is the Scary Stuff Gone Yet?

The forecast said we had a chance of rain. Later in the day, that chance grew more serious. By dinner time chance had evolved into a full-blown storm, complete with crashing thunder, zaps of lightning, and curtains of rain. We weren’t surprised, although I did jump with alarm at the first big noise that crushed our sunny day. We’ve had the same sort of weather over and over again this early fall. Our dogs clamored for safe refuge, hiding in a shower stall. I didn’t blame them. I sent positive thoughts to the many places where extensive power outages, flooding, and tornadoes have been part of the threat due to climate change. I thought of how people stop criticizing each other when they’re in trouble and need to cling together. Suddenly we know we need one another. Suddenly we’re all beautiful.

After a scare that we might lose the personality of our country, we super appreciate peace. After the wrenching G-forces of being forced back and forth from hate-filled extremism to practical solutions, from nervous isolation behind masks to happy group activities like the 2024 Olympics in Paris, we needed to be reminded that normalcy survives, and the DNC delivered this week. People still win and cheer one another as they compete. The values of family, honor, and love are thriving. For the first time since George Washington, a president put his love of country above his love of position. Watching the joy of the DNC this week has felt like arriving home after a long, hazardous trip. I’ve never watched so much of a political conference before, but I craved this one. It was well planned to remind us of our diverse national family—not as it has always been but as it could be—as it should be. Joy became a theme beside hope. As the participants danced and cheered and embraced each other, I did my best to soak it all up from my sofa.

I don’t know how Americans who dare to be aware will manage to slough off the malaise that plots to circumvent our democracy to please the controlling few, but I suspect independent, thinking citizens won’t accept solutions tainted with prejudice and greed any longer. They’ll find a way to be counted in and after the election. A new day will dawn. Possible insurrections or violence won’t include deluded patriots this time—only the weird and gullible. Voting citizens won’t let someone else’s creed command and imprison everyone. They’ve had a good long taste of the country we all love—and love best when we avoid the pitfalls to which many other countries fall prey. We love our diverse food and customs and faiths. We love our cheesy affection for one another. We love our freedoms that so many have sacrificed to secure. Families will embrace members who don’t match obedient precedent, because they love them, unconditionally. And when they don’t, the ostracized members will build their own family groups. We have good role models this time.

The opinion writers, some of whom seem to believe they have a corner on snobbish sophistication, can write or say what they please. We won’t fall for their schemes and diversions this time. Hillary Clinton paid the price for us, and then we paid the price for her. (We didn’t like living in the dark ages.) We the people will believe our hearts. News outlets that strain to create controversies to sell product will be ignored. Those who fall victim to nasty hype will be forgiven. We’ll know what happened to them. We hope they break free one day. In the meantime, we’re ready to be happy and prosperous and accepting. We want the scary stuff to be gone for a long, long time.