Courage

I lack courage.  I’m not quite as bereft of it as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.  But I have noticed that when faced with confrontation, my courage often crumples as easily as a beer can between the heel and the forehead of a good ol’ boy.  No, seriously, I don’t have any stamina and initiative when it comes to being strong and brave.  Recently, this was brought home to me at the local arts center where I volunteer.  A gentleman (I use the word loosely) visitor verbally abused another volunteer…..told her to  “kiss my fill-in-the-blank.”  The incident got reported to the manager who, just so you get the image, stands about five feet tall.  This courage-giant of a woman told the visitor that “No one speaks to our staff that way,” and showed him the door.  There was a brief exchange of words during which the visitor tried to save face by saying something like “Thank you for clearing the air.  We part on good terms.”  At that point, it was all I could do not to laugh at him….he had just been thrown out of an arts center!  And there stood my S-hero not even breathing hard.  I know from experience that had I been called upon to confront the visitor, persperation would have run down my skin inside my clothing and my heart would have beat at approximately NASCAR speed.  My respect is enormous for the courageous woman who defended not just her staff but demanded that the flag of decency be saluted.  Right now in my eyes, she is about the same size as Queen Latifa…..and she has just moved up several notches on my list of people I admire.  Somehow, seeing her courage in action makes me know that I don’t have to wait for Dorothy – I’ve been shown what courage looks like.  I’m stronger for it.

Beamed Down

Last night, about nine p.m., I was coming home from a Leadership Golden class.  I turned onto our street, dark with no street lights, and there were three deer in our front yard.  I stopped the car in the middle of the street and just stared.  With the low beam of the headlights on them, the deer were light on the bottom and darker on the top…they looked like they had been beamed down from the South Mesa to our yard.  I watched them gracefully lower their brindle colored heads to eat the crabapples in the front lawn.  Then I realized there was another deer, a smaller one, in our next door neighbor’s yard.  I flicked on the high beams to better see him and the three adult deer perked up their heads and one at a time, ran to the yard next door.  As they ran, there was a moment when all four hooves left the ground….a graceful little bounce/leap into the air.  Their heads were held high…..like four legged ballerinas that have beamed into our consciousness.

I’m Hot?

I was making phone calls for Obama this morning…my last chance to help get out the vote…when I connected with a young man, obviously on his cell phone.  I introduced myself and asked if he had had a chance to vote yet.  “I’m surprised I even have reception to get this call,” he said, “I’m in Army basic training in California.”  “Oh,” I replied, “I hope things are going well.”  “Oh, it’s fine,” he responded, “but I won’t get to vote.  You sound hot, what are you wearing?”  “Thanks so much,” I replied, meaning it.  “Have a wonderful day!”

Obama Joy

Being an Obama volunteer has been a lot of fun.  I’ve made phone calls and written letters and talked to people on the street.  I’ve had every reaction from “I don’t want to talk to you about my choice for President,” to “Thank you for calling and talking to me about the issues.  You’ve really helped me.”  Most of all, I’ve enjoyed myself and I’ve absorbed the joy of the campaign.  But today was different.

I baked muffins to go to poll watchers tomorrow, Election Day USA, beginning at 5:30 a.m.  I delivered the muffins to Obama headquarters here in Golden.  The little office space was literally teeming with people, even more than usual, but the thing that impressed me most was the atmosphere.  The only word I can think of is jubilation….people were not just upbeat, they were jubiliant…smiling, laughing, hugging, joking….I left feeling I had experienced a really positive shock- I was standing taller and smiling more broadly and feeling stronger.  My wish is that I experience more of that wonderful sensation tomorrow as I work the phones to help get out the vote to elect President Obama.