not for me directly, but for the country. sometimes it’s not for the right reasons, but all the stars come in to alignment and something good happens. in spite of my views of our political system and of politicians in general, i think something good did happen today. regardless of political affiliations and who voted for who, i think some of our ally counties look at us a little different today, and if that helps us repair some of those relationships, we can certainly use some healing in that regard. i think people are generally sparked to want to make a difference, and if they do something because of this, we can use the push there, as well. the system is broken, and i think most of us have no faith in it.  we’re a republic, and not a democracy, and our process enables and encourages those that represent us to lie, cheat, steal, earmark, and generally corrupt themselves for their own agendas. whether the new president is any different, who knows. i’m cynical and skeptical, but cynical dave isn’t here right now. hopeful dave is in the house. i’m hopeful, not just for him, but for what this process of getting him in the office has done for myself and so many others across the country. instead of 99% of the people in the country throwing their hands up in the air and saying “what difference does it make, it’s all broken and it will always be broken”, i think there are more people that believe that change is possible. it’s not a majority, and i don’t think it’s even in double digits. but that hopeful number is bigger than it was a year ago, and i’m part of that number.  realistically, our new president has to play the same game all the previous ones did, and the next few presidents will have to play the same game. but that’s not the fatalistic dave coming out, it’s the realistic dave. every president inherits a lot of what the previous president did, and it takes time to adjust the direction the ship is heading. george left stuff for barrack to handle, just as bill left stuff for george. but if one of the things barrack leaves for hillary is a crazy level of visibility in to what actually goes on in washington, i think that’s a path that the people want and need, and that’s what is going to help fix the process…accountability. the pervasiveness of how unaccountable our society is, be in in government, or our children, or ourselves, is disgusting.  but with visibility, hopefully, comes accountability and consequences for our actions. we become  accountable. our kids become  accountable. and our politicians are held  accountable. instead of voting for the party which some crazy number of the population do, regardless of the issues, i’m hopeful that we’ll be able to vote for people for something that more resembles the right reasons and hold them accountable. 

but any progress we make can be wiped away in one election, as soon as we forget what we learn and vote for the next guy or gal that drapes the shroud over washington, and we’re right back to where we are today. the attitudes of “it can’t change” gave up already or never really believed in the first place, and they are going to try to infect the rest of us and try to make us give up hope, too. 

that, incase you missed it, is cynical dave.  but the good news is that hopeful dave just took him out back to educate him on the possibilities of a future where people think beyond themselves.

and then he signed up for volunteer match.