Hope: It's all we have, and I need more feathers
Weeks ago, my friends invited me to dance a gig, and I love my fellow dancers and the venue, so there was no hesitation. True, it was for the 4th of July, and I'm really not into the whole flag-waving thing at all, but this gig is different. It's in the heart of San Jose, CA, a mini-center of cultural richness and joy that makes me feel like I am celebrating humanity itself. So I said yeah, I'll join, happy to dance. But as the day grew nearer, I realized that I didn't feel like I wanted to celebrate this country. I used to be better at compartmentalizing my own political feelings from what's happening on the nation's landscape. It's my country too, I used to say, and I'm going to participate in a way that pushes us closer to the nation in my imagination. The one where everyone really is equal, and where there is justice and truth. I told myself that I would put that good energy out there, and it would make a difference. This morning, getting ready for