I was telling my…

I was telling my students this morning -- please, if you aren't paying attention to the news (as most of them aren't), start. Because this may be the most chaotic and exciting news year of my life so far -- the shape of the world is changing. And then here at home, I look at our American politics, and I shudder for that as well. Some mornings I can't bring myself to even look at the news; it's just too much. Sometimes it seems hopeful; sometimes very dark. And then today I ran across this quote from a writer I love. I found it helpful.

As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness.

"Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society  things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as people we probably harbor seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time, waiting to sprout when the conditions are right. Mans curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out.

"Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day."

-- E.B. White

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