“A new day: Be open enough to see opportunities. Be wise enough to be grateful. Be courageous enough to be happy.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
https://meanderingpassage.com//wp-content/uploads/images/2021/01/EBM-20210116131518.jpg
Sloan Park, Rowan County, North Carolina — January 2021
After four long years of struggling and national decay, our nation has reached a new day of hope. It struck me how much we’ve lost and have been missing as a nation and people while watching yesterday evening’s memorial lighting service at the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool on the National Mall in Washington, DC. With the simple acknowledgment of those who have died and continue to die in the pandemic, emotions soared as tears rolled down my cheek. I don’t fool myself into thinking things will be perfect, but at least I believe there are adults with morals, sound convictions, and empathy at the controls again.
I have high hopes when I see the diversity of the new cabinet positions. Maybe, just maybe, these last four years have served as a reset. I hope so. Let’s enjoy this inauguration day! :-)
However, I do believe justice needs to be served for all that has transpired.
This indeed is a good day for the U.S. and for the world, Earl. I do share your hopes for a better future, where integrity will rule.
Thanks, Markus, we share the same hopes for the future. I believe President Biden to be honest and sincere but there are many remaining who helped enable the chaos of these last four years. But I’m choosing to be positive! :-)
Reset! I have the same hope, my friend. I’m excited to see mature adults, although imperfect, at the controls again. I’m excited!
By the way that is an amazing image! You must have a really good camera! 😁
Thanks, Monte. I have a really great camera, and sometimes, if I’m good and listen to everything it tells me, I get to push some of its buttons. ;-)
Such a great day yesterday, and the wonderful young poet Amanda Gorman was the icing on the cake. I’ve watched it three times now. I’d go out on a limb to say she has a bright future ahead.
Love everything about this photo, especially the shadows running across the walkway. That isn’t something normally I would see myself. With blue sky – adds to the hopeful feeling!
What a difference a day makes, huh? I’d join you out on that limb about your Amanda Gorman prediction. ;-)
This tree-lined drive/walkway has long been a favorite of mine. It’s in a small park I use to visit regularly, before RV’ing. Last week I did a revisit. I was disappointed in how it was quite run down from what it used to be. COVID and associated budget decreases, I’d guess, were the cause.
Thanks, Mark!
Sadly I am not as hopeful about the unity message. I hope I am wrong. I am already very frustrated with my own congressional representative who one minute talks about ending division and divisive language, and the next minute goes on with all the same GOP talking points and defending 45 (who she campaigned on being the “most aligned with”). At the VERY best, I think maybe we may have a time of attempts at tolerance until the frustration with that builds up so much it boils over again.
It’s a totally new political landscape, especially for the Republicans. They lost the Presidency with a corrupt President who was Impeached twice, their party is in shambles and in danger of splitting in two, and Trump and his mob of supporters is an unknown entity for the future. Also, the Senate is no longer firmly in their grasp. It’s also only the second full day of this new landscape, and McConnell is desperately trying to hang on to as much power as he can while keeping a base of his own. So, it’s early to predict how things will shake out, but I think Biden is moving fast, decisively, and with just causes, and I’m thrilled at some of his immediate Executive Orders and his excellent staff picks.
Sometimes unity comes when there is no other choice, and Biden may need to twist some arms to get it. I’ll remain hopeful for now! :-)
Agree 100%. The staff picks in particular – so many responsible, talented people. So I do have high hopes. I also think there is about 1/3 of this country that is just completely nuts.
Yep, nuts! The scary part is they think we are nuts.
We didn’t try to stage a coup for Trump. That pretty much confirms for me who’s nuts.