Towering storm clouds with dramatic light were the perfect backdrop for a walk in Washington. Old Glory highlighted against the storm was literally and metaphorically perfect. We have forgotten what we have in common. We love our country. We believe in democracy. We have this in common regardless of our different definitions of what that means. The Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument, these are powerful symbols of unity. Yet, many respond more to the storm than to the unity.
Dare I suggest that we start talking to one another again? That we seek to understand? In conversation, I’ve found many times that a person from “that side” and I agree on a number of issues. Of course, we disagree as well and yet between agree and disagree is territory we can travel together.
As cliché as it is, my sense of humor was tickled by the appearance of a rainbow between the Department of Commerce and the African American Museum. Mother Nature may be trying to tell us something. Or maybe it’s just random. Many things are. We would do well to refrain from attaching meaning to the random. Sometimes a storm is just a storm and a rainbow is just a rainbow. Enjoy them both for their beauty.
