Plan to Witness

I started feeling really good today.  Things started out a little rocky, sleepily, hangovery.  I was getting the stink-eye from the dog for taking my sweet time coming home last night.  But halfway into my first cup of tea, the sun cracked through.  I was listening to some radio coverage of Obama's train tour down to DC for the inauguration.  

I thought about the day Nelson Mandela was let out of prison.  It is the only time I remember being told to watch television.  My dad sat me down and said something like, "someday you'll be glad you saw this."  And I am.  It is such a simple thing to watch a man walking.  But at that moment, what it meant...  I'm proud to have been a young witness to that instant that things got a little better with the world. 

I look forward to watching the inauguration on Tuesday.  I look forward to one day sitting my kid on my knee and telling about it.

I admit, I can get pretty damn cynical about human nature.  I think it is too easy for people to be bad to each other.  But this widespread hope is just plain contagious.