In fifteen hours, give or take, Barak Obama will be sworn in as President of the United States. The whole world waits with anticipation, some eager, some fearful. Many have expressed their ideas through speeches, editorials, marches. Though it is possible to directly send ideas to his “team,” I haven’t sent much. I just don’t know which of my hopes and dreams to articulate, what is the highest priority?
- Do I hope for support for families that are able to afford to have a parent stay at home — something along the lines of having those year(s) “count” toward social security retirement and disability status?
- Do I hope that education will become a higher priority than incarceration?
- Do I hope that children and adolescents will be given developmentally appropriate education and support?
- Do I hope that remaining areas of wilderness that contain fossil fuels will be protected, so that the earth can begin the long process of restoring ecosystems?
- Do I hope that people will regain their sanity as it relates to employment — doing a good job for reasonable pay, benefits and some security?
- Do I hope that the insane profit-taking of the last twenty years will end and business owners and shareholders will return to a healthy appreciation for the worker?
- Do I hope that the United States will, rather than run roughshod over other sovereign states, re-engage in a polite and respectful dialog with them?
Yes, and more.
I am still in the middle of gathering my thoughts. Anticipation…
anticipation
3 a: visualization of a future event or state
4: the early sounding of one or more tones of a succeeding chord to form a temporary dissonance
(from Merrian Webster’s online dictionary).
I chose just two of the definitions, the first being the one I considered as I began to write this post. I, like millions (billions?) of people around the world, have certain ideas about what the change in administration will mean. I have ideas about how history will now shift; hopefully away from the aggressive, antagonistic policies of the outgoing administration that alienated many forms allies, and toward a more inclusive, cooperative set of policies that re-invite the world to participate in solution-finding.
And then, as I read the definition, the last concept hit me – between the ears, as it were: We are moving away from the bombastic final chord of a martial movement in the symphony of our history. A new note is sounding — a clarion call, fresh and new as the next movement gathers itself before bursting into full harmony. How will the lingering chord resolve? How will the first hestitant notes of the next theme find their way? What surprises are in store?