At the Minnesota State Fair, stopping to stare at something called the Never Walz booth, I heard muttering behind me. “Who are these people? Are they from here? Why are they saying these things?” A group of five young people were shoulder to shoulder and staring, too. Instant cohort. My companion asked if they were planning to vote. “Absolutely! For the first time. And we’re telling all our friends to vote, too!” They were lit up, all exclamation points. And they finished with, to us, “Don’t worry. We got this!” Thank you. And go get ‘em. You make the future look pretty good.
Much about our national life can be disheartening; it can be useful to remember that we are on a roller coaster ride, full of loud noises and jolts and ups and downs. It is better to throw up our hands and shout than to ride silently.
Some do. And yet, in a concert crowd, wearing my Democrats for Sanity button, I felt a tap on my shoulder. A stranger said “I wanted to say hello. I’m a swing voter for sanity. I’ve voted both ways; this time I’m voting for sanity.” We held eyes for a moment. I reached back to shake his hand. Both Americans. Both for sanity.