The Thing With Feathers...

The awesome old guy gave me

four stickers :) Yayy!!

Today was Election Day! Hard to believe it's been four years since the last one...time really flies. This was my first year being able to vote, and I'm happy to say I did! I can't say I'm completely happy with the outcome, though. In fact, I'm VERY unhappy with the outcome. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against President Obama as a person. I respect his authority because I have to, but I certainly don't agree with the direction he's taking our country. I don't understand a lot about politics, but there are certain things I do understand, and I have very strong opinions about them. I won't go into it, because it just makes me upset, but I read a verse tonight and I think it kinda applies.

Psalm 119:163 "I hate and abhor lying, But I love your law."

In my opinion, politics are like a huge spider web of lies, and yet they run our country. If only God's laws were the ones for our country today. Wouldn't that just be awesome??

I have an American Literature class at college that sometimes turns into a politics class. (Honestly, I hate when my professor starts talking politics because I know almost NOTHING about all the technical stuff, and whenever I try and defend my opinion, I end up looking like a fool.) Before class actually starts, a bunch of classmates and I stand out in the hallway and chat about random stuff. Sometimes movies, sometimes work...ya know, fun stuff! But lately, because of the election, the subject has been politics. For any of you know know anything about Massachusetts, you know it's a very liberal state. That fact became very obvious to me just by talking to my classmates. Not only do they stand there and bash the republicans, they stand there and bash my religion. Ouch.

I have to admit, I haven't been defending my faith as much as I probably should. And they really lay into me sometimes! But today I decided it was time to take a stand. I've made a friend in class...his name is Tim...and we discuss things in class together all the time. Poetry, short stories, our favorite authors, whatever. We get along pretty well! Today in school, however, he really started to bother me with some of the stuff he was saying about religion. So I finally said something. I told him that I believed the Bible and that, sometimes, what he says about my religion really bothered me. That shut him up for a second, so I took the time to explain why it bothered me, and he actually listened. I told him that I didn't support gay marriage, but I don't go around tearing into gay people all the time and telling them how stupid and wrong they are. It's just as wrong for people to go around tearing into religious people, and I kind of had to explain that one to him...right after I found out he was an atheist :S I don't know how I get myself into these things, but somehow, they find me :P Well...without going into the whole conversation, I'll just say it ended well, and we're still friends, but now they know where I stand. Not sure if that's going to change how I'm treated, but all in all, I'm glad I stood up for my religion. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it.

I feel like I should have more to say about this moment in our country's history, but I really don't. What is there to say? Obama is president...let's see what happens. Honestly, I see nothing good coming for the future, but who's to say we still can't hope? Hope is always existing...somewhere. I had this conversation with a friend of mine just a few days ago. We were discussing hope, and it really got me thinking. Are we ever completely hopeless? I think in whatever situation we're in, we always have a little bit of hope for something better, even if we don't realize it's there. Have you ever heard that poem by Emily Dickinson? Well, read it...right now.

Hope 

    

Hope is the thing with feathers 

That perches in the soul, 

And sings the tune--without the words, 

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard; 

And sore must be the storm 

That could abash the little bird 

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land, 

And on the strangest sea; 

Yet, never, in extremity, 

It asked a crumb of me.

I think that's just beautiful. "Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, and sings the tune--without the words..." *sigh* I don't know how many of you appreciate poetry, but the more I read this, the prettier it seems to me. Have you every been walking around your house...cleaning or doing your homework or whatever...and you find yourself just humming to yourself? You might not even realize you're doing it, but you're singing a tune without any words. You're conscious of the song, but you're not aware that you're singing it. Maybe it's just me :P Well, that's kinda like hope. It's there, but you're not really focusing on it. I think that's a beautiful thought.

So even when it seems like things are hopeless because Obama was reelected, remember that somewhere, deep inside, there is hope for something better. He might make a mess of our country, but we have to look and hope for something better. And we know it's coming! It has to :) Hope is the knot we tie and hold on to when we reach the end of our rope. Hope is the caterpillar sitting around all wrapped up waiting for something wonderful to happen. Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.

Chin up, peoples! The happy days will come :)

Marly