Half Full of Hope

Yesterday, a needle pierced my throat four times. I had a biopsy on my thyroid to get a better look at the discovery of a nodule that showed up in an unrelated MRI of my cervical spine. The second jab was the most uncomfortable, but it was hard to describe. We decided it may have involved hitting a nerve, and my reply was, “Well, I’m glad I have nerves.” My biopsy tech decided that I was a ‘glass half full’ patient.

He said that it likely was an unnecessary procedure since benign nodules are pretty common. I told him that I have a friend who caught covid before the vaccines were available and that a scan of her congested lungs revealed that she had an aggressive form of ductal breast cancer. I told him that I was not mad about my doctor being overly cautious. When we finished up he said that he was sure it was nothing to worry about and that he was sorry for whatever I would have to pay for the procedure. I touched his arm and said, “Oh, don’t worry. I have Obamacare!”

This was after he expressed dismay over the current climate in our country and his desire to immigrate elsewhere. I reminded him that most places in the world are going through something similarly distressing and that the best thing for us to do is to stay and work toward creating something better.

As I drove home, I was learning about the latest travesty committed by the US Supreme Court, while also reflecting on a recent conversation with my honorary godson. He and I are from different backgrounds with obvious differences in life experience and perspectives. While we frequently have deep conversations on belief, we have not previously dared to delve into politics. We each voice-recorded messages with our thoughts, and as expected, I got a little extra expressive on the ways that people can vote (or choose not to vote) which is ultimately harmful to society, and especially to women.

That poor kid, half my age, re-recorded his reply to me multiple times before sharing and declared it the last time he ever wanted to do that because it felt ‘icky’. His reply wasn’t divisive in any way. He just really wanted to know why he should vote when he felt there really wasn’t a choice he felt could represent him. Like many (his age or not), the choice of two elderly men has no appeal to him, and feeling limited to one party or another fails to reach what he longs to see in the form of our country’s direction. [This is actually a pathetic summary of a brilliant oratory, as his brain is far more capable than mine of thoughtful expression. I’m still overcoming brain fog that has blocked my writing for some time.]

What I could offer him, a young adult soon to vote in his second presidential election, is that if you want to see the country move in the direction of your dreams, the only choice at this moment is to vote for Democrats across the board. They may not be what you want for leadership, but if you want change that will serve you down the road, they will be the party to enable it. Abolishing the Electoral College will not occur under the party that most benefits from it through gerrymandering. Free and fair elections will not be possible with the current state of the Republican party, now so far from any form of ethical or civilized behavior, it boggles belief. The courts are corrupt, a direct result of proud efforts by the GOP, and that reform will not come with their majority in the halls of Congress. When a party shows you who they are, believe them. Then set a healthy boundary.

If you want to see a future with more than two parties that lead to a viable chance of representation that serves you best, your only hope is to vote Blue in every race and keep doing so until progress is allowed to transform the broken system we currently maintain. Ranked-choice voting to remove toxicity and improve choice, which is offered in some left-leaning states could grow, offering you a greater sense of inclusion in democracy. It won’t ever expand if you don’t vote Blue.

Speaking or writing on politics is not within my list of strengths, and yet it feels irresponsible for any of us to sit in silence while witnessing the rapid decline of social justice and democracy. It’s okay to be mad about the choices before you, but it is not okay to act in a way that furthers that cause.

As an Aquarius, it feels impossible to lose hope in a brighter future. I believe in the goodness of humanity and our ability to care deeply for one another. I believe that we are meant to be interdependent beings. We are not in this earthly realm to learn how to fend for ourselves, we are meant to learn and grow toward the truth of our souls. When we return to energetic form, we flow back into oneness. Our challenge in human form is to remember that we are all one.

Harming ourselves or harming another is an act of violence against us all. From this moment in history, voting for any Republican is an act of violence against humanity and the greater good. To be apathetic and not vote against your oppressors is an act of self-harm. Such negligence may mean that you never have the freedom to vote again.

When I come back to the image of my proverbial cup, despite the chaos of darkness that threatens to swallow us whole, I still find it to be half full. I know that even with what is happening in our country through the corruption of the highest court enabled by the GOP, with the loss of privacy, safety, and security in women’s healthcare, among a million other transgressions, there is hope. I believe that people who love themselves and others will rise into action between now and November to ensure we have the opportunity to continue the experiment of building a more perfect union. I believe in us! I believe in love! I believe this cup is filled with the light of love and that there is enough to nourish and illumine us all.

Thanks for walking this path with me, dear ones. Cheers!