March 28, 2020 | Reading Time: < 1 minute
A tree (and hope) grows in New Haven
I’m told my writing can be bleak. I suppose that’s true. That’s not my intent, though. My intent is to talk about politics and the political past plainly so we can take future action. Most often, we the people misunderstand our politics, and take the wrong action. American history shows us taking one step forward,…
I’m told my writing can be bleak. I suppose that’s true. That’s not my intent, though.
My intent is to talk about politics and the political past plainly so we can take future action. Most often, we the people misunderstand our politics, and take the wrong action. American history shows us taking one step forward, then two steps back.
Bleakness can be hard to take during a pandemic. So here’s a picture of hope.
This is a sapling growing on our property in New Haven. It’s not supposed to exist. My daughter dropped a handful of raw almonds on that spot. One of the almonds germinated and took root. Now it’s struggling to grow into a tree in New England.
Life endures. It can’t help itself. Democracies endure too. They can’t help themselves either. We can’t know what they will become, or what shape they will take in the future, but we can know they will try to become it. There’s reason to hope in that.
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Many thanks! —John Stoehr
John Stoehr is the editor of the Editorial Board. He writes the daily edition. Find him @johnastoehr.
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Thanks for sharing this pix…I find myself appreciating the stunning blooms and people’s well-manicured lawns (which have become more of a fixation here in the south when people have little else to do 🙂 as I walk my pups each morning. Our republic democracy will survive and hopefully, there will be a silver lining in our greater need for connectedness.
Well said!
keep doing what you’re doing 🙏🏾
Thank you!
I don’t find your writing at all bleak. If anything, it’s affirming. I wish I’d had access to journalists and writers like you during the Reagan years – I would not have felt so alone.
Wow thanks!
I hope the tree survives. Thank you for the ray of hope.