goodness grace

One of the valuable things theater has taught me is to accept defeat with grace. Sometimes… a lot of times… things just don’t work out the way we hope. And, some of those times, the way they work out against our hopes turns into something wonderful. Even if it is only wonderful for someone else. 

I’m trying to remind myself of that today when it seems a great number in this nation celebrates the return of Congress to the GOP. Not what I hoped. But maybe… maybe things will work out in a good way. I’d like to hope that. I really would… but I’m having a difficult time wrapping my brain around how.

I want to stretch my mind, so please indulge these next few paragraphs as I play out the argument of my brain against itself. 

I have an icky feeling in my throat about this. About what the Republican Party stands for – or these days… isn’t it more about what they stand against? And, really, who is standing?

Last night I watched a lot of the local concession and celebratory speeches. Of course, Massachusetts is a different story. I should just be pleased that I live in a state that takes information seriously and won’t be mesmerized by corporate hype. But… there is still a strong conservative sentiment in this state – especially in the towns where I grew up.

So I watched these speeches… as I skulked on the Internet and kind of lost interest in the same old same old political brou ha ha. But I watched as the cameras panned to the listeners in those ballrooms and auditoriums. Now, the camera shots were not lengthy… I couldn’t help but to notice those present in the hearing of the Republican candidates were largely white… and older.

Oh, here she goes. Jumping to stereotypes. No, I heard John Stewart on Saturday. Racists have to earn that god awful identity. But… the absence of minorities in an audience… doesn’t that say something? What about the Democrats? Well… there were more colors and more youth. Is that just because they are too young to know better? And… well, again, is my color recognition blind in one room?

But… isn’t it blindness to deny the fact that one party doesn’t support public programs that benefit the poor? That one party is willing to stand side by side with (even if they don’t support it) the denial of marriage to a group of people? That one party is militant against a religion because a few crazies committed an atrocity? That one party decides not everyone has a right to cross our border and reach for the future our grandparents achieved?

These are broad statements, broad questions that shove a whole group of people into one assumption of… ick. But… if standing by these opinions and giving them respect and a chance to become reality is what Republican power is all about, how can I be graceful and step aside and let them have their due?

I think there is work to be done, improvements to be made… but… when I see the audience that represents those parties, I’m not really convinced they represent America.

Definitely not me.