Can we all just take a step back and think, like Blues Clues?

How can this be?

Such calm, such peace, such solitude

in this world of woe?

This is the way poet David Budbill's poem, "The Sixth of January" ends. Around the country, and probably in many corners of the world, people are contemplating how, just three years ago, American life was shaken to the core. In some ways, the riot and attack on the Capitol in an effort to stop the formal certification of the election of President Biden, was more devastating to our country than the events of 9/11. After the attack on 9/11, our country came together, if briefly, to reassert what it is we say we believe in. We are still suffering the effects and poison from January 6th. The heart and soul of the country have been badly bruised, if not damaged irreparably. And we are entering another murky time of hate speech, smear politics, and incessant bombardment of nasty ads and stupid phone polls.

It's exhausting. 

But yet, this morning, I snuggled peacefully and calmly with the toddler in residence, half-snoozing, while she enjoyed a few episodes of Blues Clues. In the program, the host, Steve, follows clues left for him by his little dog, Blue. And the whole point of the program is that if you recognize that there is something to solve, and you follow the clues, write them down, and then sit in your thinking chair, you can do anything. 

I sure wish the country would do that. 

Have a good day,

C