Do I Wade or Do I Dive?

I first offered this a half-decade ago under very similar circumstances, the day after Election Day. Just how else the circumstances were similar, and how they differed from where we are now, I'd rather not say. Not yet.

This morning by the dawn's early light we can analyze election results through at least two cups of coffee, or latte on the West Coast, and when all is said and done, nothing has changed so much as the political universe has been reorganized. 

No matter your politics or ideology, the Forces of Evil (however and whoever you perceive "them" to be) didn't win and the parting on the left is now parting on the right (and the beards, such as they are, have all grown longer overnight).

There will be a lot of words written about what has happened or what hasn't today and in the next few days, but, here's a thought for on the way: no matter the weather and the clouds' presence or absence on the horizon, the sun will come up whether the persons you supported or opposed won or lost. 

That's the beauty of our democracy. The opportunity for revolutionary change without revolution. We are the envy of much of the rest of the world, and the scourge of those who don't envy us, because of the peaceful revolutions we have every time we vote. 

I'm hoping locally we had at least a fifty percent registered voter turnout here in Norwich, though one hundred does have nice ring to it, because if all you do is complain about how awful things are and the problems that we have but don't do anything to change the road we are on, you are part of the problem. It's been my experience around here at least that it's never eaten as hot as it's served, so enjoy your breakfast because we have a lot of work to do. 

Thank you to all who offered themselves as candidates. We all benefited from your generosity of spirit. For those who will be seated as our next City Council, perhaps a motto you might offer to the rest of us. It certainly sounds better in latin, "Ergo videtur quod multo magis." (This is much harder than it looks)

I grew up in New Jersey where 'vote early and often' isn't just a suggestion but a mantra. In other words, we used to grumble, but we (also) went to the polls. Around these parts all we did was gripe to one another about how we're not gonna take it anymore. Except, that's what we said the last election, and the one before that and the one before that....lather, rinse, repeat. Nothing ever happens if you don't make it happen.

I think this morning our results may suggest we have the same movie with a different cast. This is written before Election Day but we both know now, today, some will we elected too many/not enough new people, and we'll spend the next two years wondering if one or the other is true.

In any event, I hope we haven't chosen new brooms to sweep old dust because while we live in the land of unlimited opportunity, there's only so many second chances we can have before one of them becomes our last. 

Today, the day after the Election, is the time to stop arguing about who did what to whom and why and how and to start to look to those whom we’ve elected captains, grab the oars and pull as hard as we can for shore. Otherwise, you're going to swim until you can't see land. And no good comes from that.

-bill kenny