Winning and Losing

Recently, a friend of mine told me about the five year-old she babysits and how he taught her to play chess. She described how he led her patiently through the names of the pieces, the way to move across the board, and all the other nuances of chess he knew in his wise five years. And then they played. And he won. But instead of celebrating his victory over his babysitter all he said was, "There are no winners or losers. The game just ended."

Yesterday, North Carolina voted to pass Amendment One, the newest revision to our state constitution. In politics, like chess, there are myriad complexities and moves that determine who might be the winner or loser. Because of this new amendment, I sense that there may be a number of people who do truly lose that for which they fight so vigilantly. But thinking about this story makes me hopeful that this game we're playing of morals and tradition and right and wrong isn't a moment to cheer over a win or give up in defeat--it just ended. Perhaps, maybe not now, maybe later, there won't be any winners or losers. Maybe we'll be able to figure out a way to start a new kind of game called compromise where the rules are simple: grow understanding. However, I have no doubt that yesterday's election is just the beginning of a long, complicated road.

It is suffocating to look at most social media about the amendment and read complaints about who is right or wrong, or about how backwards we are as a state, a reason to pack up and leave. If anything, the results of this election are not a reason to move, but a justification for staying here during this incredible time in our history. I'm proud of the people who did their research and voted against the amendment. For those who voted for it--well, there's a lot of educating to be done, I guess. Instead of fighting, though, I urge you to grow pockets of love where you find them and share that with others. Focusing on the negative breeds negativity; finding and sharing the positive only attracts more of it.

The "Writer's Almanac" poem for today seems fitting as we look inward and outward at what's to come, so I share it here.

Eagle Poem by Joy Harjo 

To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can't see, can't hear
Can't know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren't always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon, within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.