I don’t have hundreds of Facebook “friends” – I have 92. Only 12 of them are people I knew before 2017.
The other 80 are a fraction of the many, many people I’ve been honored to meet and to know in real life over the past 22 months.
I stood in the election night party for Congresswoman-elect Haley Stevens and looked around at all the familiar faces, and I realized that I didn’t know these people until sometime in early 2017. But I’ve come to know them, some older than me, most younger than me. I’ve watched them work, planning events, shaping messages, questioning each other, walking streets, making phone calls, writing postcards, waving placards, arguing, learning, organizing, building, campaigning, running.
I’ve been amazed by the skills and talents that back up their dedication, their passion, their determination. Everyone has something to contribute and everyone contributes more than their share. So many people talked about stepping outside their comfort zone, going one step further, trying something for the first time – and feeling exhilarated by it.
There are scores of takeaways from these past 2 years culminating in Election 2018, but this is the biggest of them all – that everyday people can stand up bravely when needed, that their bravery makes a difference, that people in motion can be powerful indeed.
I feel confident in our country and in our democracy and in the people who define our county, especially the next generation and the next after that. That’s a big change from 2 years ago. For that change, I can thank all of these new-found friends.
