Ah! Finally, it’s Election Day! It’s a day that should help us feel good as we carry out our civic duty. Elections represent the idea that we passionately campaign for our viewpoints and beliefs, but when all is said and done, we accept the result and commit to working together. After all, the American motto is still “E pluribus unum”, which literally means “out of many, one”. The power of the human spirit is that when we put our differences aside, we become stronger than we are as individuals.
I hope you will forgive the fact that most of my writing will be heavily influenced by my country, my faith, and my community. I truly want to make this a place where we can come together no matter our backgrounds and find commonality. I strongly believe that we are all motivated by the same things–our differences are not as significant as some would have us believe. So please hear and respond to the ideas, not the specifics–many of my experiences will be similar to yours but in a different place, a different time, or a different language.
As I close these thoughts, I think I need to set a ground rule for this site. This is mainly for me, since I’m the only one here at the moment, but I hope that you will join me in trying to stick to this rule:
I will be positive, not negative; I will build up, I will not tear down; I will listen, I will not attack.
Things are so much better when we actually listen to people who are different than ourselves and focus on the good and on our universal experiences. I hope you will all find your way here eventually and I look forward to building a community and spreading cheer!
