Vivre la Reve!

It is hard to be many things in our world at the moment.  One of them is to be a proud American. Not that we have ever been perfect but we have, until recently, largely extolled diplomacy, the soft power of international food aid, of cultural outreach and exchange, welcomed the talents and dreams of immigrants, looked to the Constitution as a true north, enjoyed a free press, believed the scientists’ counsel on many things, worked to embrace diversity in education and businesses, valued truth, supported alternative energy industries.  We had oriented ourselves toward knowing what is right rather than a stubborn insistence that we are right.

Those ideas, manifestations and aspirations have defined for me the qualities of citizenship and they in turn created a horizon of expectation. Standing on it’s edge now I know I’m not alone in feeling a tide of despair, of fear and shame. So, the question is how do we collectively find our bearing? Do we sink? Ignore? Slap on a mask to disguise the inner horror? All of the above? How do we re-root and grow our branches out to the farthest reaches of new dreams? How do we encourage our children to do the same?

I listened the other day, after the thrilling splash down, to the NASA press conference. Suspect many of you did too. The first to speak was an Amit Kshatriya, NASA Associate Administrator. About three quarters of the way through his comments, he said: “The impediment to action is where we find the way to get to action. What stands in the way, becomes the way.”  Loved that and if it is so, the way forward is to unflinchingly grapple with the challenge at hand. But what does that look like?

One possibility is to follow the lead of something Colorado Representative, Jason Crow speaks of. A vet of two tours in the middle east and now 8 years in congress.  He is actively recruiting US citizens to run for office and he’s digging deep to do so.  He’s seeking out middle class folk who are hurting…PTA presidents, athletic coaches, housewives, small business owners. Folks who the system is currently failing, folks whose bright expectations have been made to look muddy.

Years ago, I learned of a native Amazonian tribe that had suffered, in recent times, a devastating loss…a near eradication of their male population. With so shattered a future, they decided the only way forward was to re-learn their history…and in order to do so they had to discover their past. They sought out the remaining elders imbedded in their community and got the download on their own myths, lore, chants, dances, potions…you name it.  Fortified with this wisdom they indeed did rebuild. In our case, most fortunately, we have Constitutional scholars, scientists, diplomats and humorists to keep listening to.

We were in a Paris department store a couple of months ago. The clerk helping us as we checked out was clearly not from France but rather from a foreign land. Noting the postal code on our credit card she said in pigeon French that she hoped to get to America one day.  We offered that it might be a challenge for her to do so just now. As we walked away, she said in a tone of profound encouragement…”Vivre la reve American!” Long live the American dream.  Dang. She’s keeping it alive, and so we can as well…we must.

Keep the faith and blessings to America.