. . . as understandable as moments of doubt and apparent impotence may be, especially in a culture that too often rewards cynicism and mocks idealism, they aren't inevitable. If tackling critical common problems seems a fool's errand, it's only because we're looking at life through too narrow a lens. History shows that the proverbial rock can be rolled, if not to the top of the mountain, then at least to successive plateaus. And, more important, simply pushing the rock in the right direction is cause for celebration. History also shows that even seemingly miraculous advances are in fact the result of many people taking small steps together over a long period of time. For every Tutu, there have been thousands of anonymous men and women who were equally principled, equally resolute.Loeb later quotes Vaclav Havel, "Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart."
Indeed as many await this election in fear, seeing potentially grave consequences ahead, true hope abides beyond the result and in spite of it. I see the work to be done as ongoing, regardless of which politicians grab the reins of government. I'll do what I can to affect the result, because I earnestly believe that is important, but I'll not be a slave to that result.
3 comments:
I'll do what I can to affect the result, because I earnestly believe that is important, but I'll not be a slave to that result.How would the above translate to the Scrabble world and the SOWPODS vs TWL debate? (Only half joking)
Hi Amit,
Thanks for visiting frequently. Indeed, I guess I've left the SOWPODS debate aside for the time being, but greater truths are often transferrable to many venues, from the profoundly consequential to the much more mundane. I do expect to return to tournament play again someday, and yes, regardless of the lexicon in use. ;-)
Walker, thank you too for posting interesting material on a regular basis!
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