“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.
– Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
In honor of the forthcoming holidays, I offer a Glass Half Full column. Grab the kids, warm up the cocoa, ice the ginger bread house and settle in.
But first, let’s start with the glass is half empty portion of our program:
1) San Francisco Giants. ’Nuff said.’
2) We have a CEO in the White House who demonstrates daily he is unfit for office; a morally ambiguous, truth-challenged person of questionable character who would rather pal around with despots, dictators and murderers than our long standing allies and his own national security team. This isn’t so much glass half empty; this is glass isn’t even there because it was sold to a Saudi thug … sorry, prince … for $100 million.
3) Voter turn out for the midterms was 49% of the voting eligible public. That means fewer than half of us get to complain about the leaders we (didn’t) elect. But … and it’s a big but … (I’ll pause here for your sophomoric joke of choice) voter turnout in California was 57%, and in Sonoma County voter turnout was near 80%. And now for a personal confession:
My name is Steven, and I’m a mail-in voter.
I have been “mailing in” since back in the day when I was crisscrossing the country as a national Fuller Brush representative. Only part of that statement is false.
I love hunkering down with my election booklet and ballot, researching, debating myself (I often win) and then finally penciling in the candidate of choice. But this year, I had the great pleasure of working at a polling station. (Again, I shall pause for your sophomoric joke.)
The day went by surprisingly quickly due to the steady stream of voters lured no doubt by the cookies, coffee and hot chocolate our church host (there’s a Catholic joke in there somewhere) prepared throughout the day. Many first-time voters came in, and everyone was delighted when they received the coveted “I Voted” sticker. Late in the day, we ran out of the stickers (a good sign), eliciting more than a few unhappy faces.
As both of you long-time readers know, I have had a bee in my bonnet for over two years now, and let me tell you, I’m itching to swap out that bonnet for a new chapeau. Yet those bees are what keep us engaged, aware and moving forward. This country was founded, shaped, and reshaped countless times on the shoulders of men and women who let agitation inspire rather than defeat, tirelessly fighting for freedom, equality and liberty – for all.
So while we remain a house bitterly divided, there is a hope (a new hope, Luke). I choose to embrace this holiday season with an eye toward the good in my fellow man and woman, even the ones with whom I vehemently disagree because, as is often pointed out to me, I do not know what is going on in anyone else’s mind, heart or soul.
We live in the land of the free and the home of the brave — from soldiers who fight our wars abroad to firefighters and first responders who work to save our lives, homes and communities; from teachers who spark young minds to clerks who always serve you with a smile. And I am thrilled to witness an inspiring generation of new leaders — young people not afraid to stand up and be heard, make people uncomfortable and effect real, lasting change.
We are blessedly free to disagree on anything and everything. I can write my opinions without fear of violence. I think. I am thankful to you for reading these ramblings, even those of you who take offense on occasion. Responding to an irate emailer, my former editor, the lovely and talented Ray Holley, once wrote, “Steven is a regular monthly columnist for all four of our papers. Sometimes he’s poignant and sad, sometimes he’s brilliant and funny, sometimes he’s just irritating.”
Amen, brother.
And yet they let we write. This really is the greatest country on earth and one with a refreshing low journalistic bar.
Merry Christmas; Feliz Navidad; Happy Holidays, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa and Festivus (for the rest of us).
See you next year.
