rise

@HeyMilly’s blog post on Obama prompted me to write a comment.. that ended up wanting to be its own post.

Just been to Ze Frank’s “52 to 48, With Love” photos and they seem to fit well with her post. People posting small bridges to tie the nation back together.

An American friend of mine said that in the weeks after 911 some of her family had become impossible to communicate with. Full of fear and anger. It was hard for me to hear this from our little island in the Pacific where we were all hoping like anything that America’s fear and anger wasn’t going to go and get us all killed.

This process of electoral change seems to have stirred similar passions, similar fears, similar anger.
I like the effort shown in Ze Frank’s pictures to heal the rifts between friends and family that became so pronounced during the campaign.

As we watched the elections from our small corner we had hope too, but the election result is not hope delivered on a plate. There are a million little rifts to heal.

Andrew Churches’ latest blog reflects on the holocaust and makes reference to Darfur, Ethiopia and our own suburbs as places in need of change.

Which of those is the hardest to tackle?

Truly sustainable Hope and courageous action are not drawn through time by the heavy swell and sudden crashing of pack-tides descending on polling booths. They are maintained by the actions of every day, taken by the people of every day.

If I were Ze Frank I’d be asking for the little stories of reconciliation that take place across dining room tables between family and loved ones.

If you have your own, I’d love to hear it.

NB: ( This post wanted to be titled “Pass The Dutche Pon Da Left Wing Side” but changed its mind at the last minute. I add this note for @mumbleboy, my personal Babel Fish who works tirelessly to connect my thoughts into real sentences. )