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A wonderful analysis of our current political situation come November, both hopeful and scary. I've come to dislike the word/idea of hope, which seems too wistful and flimsy and is so often called forth when things seem truly hopeless. Instead of hope I turn to trust. I trust that Kamala's team will go full tilt in countering Trump’s misinformation and educating the electorate about who she truly is and what she stands for. I trust that enough Independents and swing state voters will do the right thing. I trust that the organizations and teams of lawyers who are already fighting the good fight in courts will continue that effort and prevail. I trust that Truth and Love will win at the end of the day. Trust is not a thing with feathers. It rests on solid ground. It's rooted in the hearts and minds of good people everywhere who put the common good and the country above party. I trust in that.

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Your response comes as much-needed balm, Deborah. Hope and trust are often conflated, but they are indeed different. Trust is rooted in reliable confidence in the truth. Hope is anticipatory, which may be why it's so easy to become disappointed when things fall short. So glad you made this distinction. For the record, I trust in the same things you do. And I'm so grateful you took the time to read and add your thoughts to what I've written. I really appreciate it.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Jazprose Hill

Lordy, Andrew--this is one of the most intelligent pieces I've read in a long time. (But don't I pretty much say that about everything you write?) I honestly, don't know how you do it...there are so many things I love about your writing/approach--not just your talent and skill--but also the way you are able to link weighty (serious) issues with cultural/artistic ones (you may be the only other person I "know" who knows who Tom Burke is.) Well done. I will listen to this one a couple of times. (And by the way--even though I recognize that the road ahead is rocky--I'm still basking in the joy that was the DNC.)

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The DNC gave me a much-needed lift, too, Diana. All that joy. All that positive energy. Maybe that's why I stepped back a little to take the long view reflected in this piece. I've been strongly influenced by Carl Jung, especially his concept of synchronicity. So I do have a tendency to look for potential relationships among simultaneous events. It's good to have a context for doing that in prose. And it's especially good to know that you see some value in this. Thanks so much, as always, for reading/listening today and for your encouraging response. I really appreciate it.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Jazprose Hill

Hope springs eternal...at least until November 5th!

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Time is flying by. Election day will be here in a flash. And I plan to speed things up even faster by voting early. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Always good to hear from you.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Jazprose Hill

A friend's mother, who survived the Nazi camps, told him that hope is for crazy people. I would say welcome to the asylum, but I think you've been there with the rest of us a while.

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What can I say, Mikels? King of Hearts is one of my favorite movies! Thanks for reading and taking a moment to comment. I really appreciate hearing from you.

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