But no, it was that the election prevaricating has finally come to an end, and she was, understandably, so happy. And she was not alone. There was celebration throughout not only America, but the world. In many cities--pandemic or no pandemic--the atmosphere was not unlike this:
I really ought to spend a few minutes expressing my own relief and hope with this outcome, but let me just sum it up in a conversation I had with my cousin yesterday, where our endless talk of Star Wars and Marvel movies has been replaced with seemingly-endless talk of Donald Trump and his daily outrages, and “Did you see the debate” or “read this tweet” or “hear him refuse to denounce white supremacy,” etc..
My cousin has never been even remotely political, and our hope was that we could start talking about the stuff that really matters again, like whether the “Stand by Ion Control” woman in EMPIRE made it off of Hoth, or whether Reed Richards’/Kamala Khan’s body makes a sound when it stretches.
“The first thing I hope Biden does when elected,” I said last night, “is to say, Okay, this has been hard and everybody’s angry, but let’s put all of that division behind us and move forward as one nation from this point forward. Whether you voted for me or not, let’s ignore what came before and agree we’re on the same side now, we’re all Americans, and we are unified in our love for this country.” Of course, I wasn’t that eloquent when I was saying it last night, but that was my hope for this all-but-broken nation, standing on a brink of not one, but possibly several new Civil Wars.
Well, Joe Biden gave a statement today that was particularly welcome, and surprisingly moving to see. I’ll quote it here:
I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris.
In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.
With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation. It’s time for America to unite. And to heal. We are the United States of America.
And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.
That gives me a feeling of optimism and peace, that must be close to what my niece is feeling, what my buddy Jeff is feeling in Germany, and what it seems like my Kiwi pal Gino Moretto is feeling way down in New Zealand. That so many people were emotionally invested in this election, whether American or not, surprised me . . . but it’s a small world, and we all have to share it, and policies, behavior, and attitudes trickle down from the top (namely the POTUS) and affect everybody far and wide.
Gosh, I hope that the hatred can settle down, if not stop completely. I hope that people will stop accusing science and education of being less valuable than all-caps ignorance. I hope we can gather together to stop the spread of both COVID-19 and violence, and that intelligence, restraint, and kindness can have a place of honor in our national (and global) mindset once again.
R.B.O.
So, I’ve gotten no writing, exercise, or whatever the third thing is I’m supposed to do done today. But I’m at the library now—the librarian finally recognized me and asked if I wanted my usual spot—and I’m going to write three hundred words right now before I go. If I can do it, you could do it too.
Sit-ups Today: 111
Sit-ups In November: 883
Push-ups Today: 0 (damn, forgot it again. I did my run in the rain, but I blew the push-ups)
Well, I did end up writing, continuing the conversation between Beth and Will, and introducing her to his best friend Marcellus. These three--and maybe his Uncle Armin--will form the little lost and found business (which I need to come up with a clever name for). I still don't know where the story is going (boy, you'll be sick of hearing that this month), but it's really progressing well.
Words Today: 1823
Words In November: 6752
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