hope
-
to cherish a desire with anticipation : to want something to happen or be true
-
archaic:trust
-
to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment.
-
to expect with confidence :trust
“I hope you can let this go.” -President Trump to Former FBI Director Comey.
vs.
The platform of Hope upon which President Obama ran in 2008 and 2012.
vs.
Hope or Trust.
I have looked at and said the word Hope so many times today that it no longer looks or sounds like a word, you know what I mean? What is it? And what if, just what if, hope is actually what is causing our country to stumble right now? As I rolled this word around in my head, I kept coming back to its implied passivity, a wait and see attitude that can lead to doing nothing or, worse, to expecting others to do it and then acting like a victim if they don’t. What about the hope that coal mines will come back, that global warming is a Chinese hoax, or that going backwards is ever an option? As much as I love the optimism it can carry, hope has doubt at its core and there is no getting around it.
What if, instead, we choose trust? Trust in ourselves and our communities and in the idea of working together, for each other and with each other, to move towards a common goal? What if we begin to demand that kind of reliability within all of our relationships, including those with our government? I have faith in this country and know that we are better than the hoping/wishing/waiting/ burying our head in the sand and crossing our fingers that things will improve trap we seem to have fallen into. I don’t know that hope is serving us well and think it is time to switch it up. Just a thought.
If you enjoy these posts, please follow smagik.com and please share!
smagik 