This must be the place: ‘Armed with will and determination, and grace, too’

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This must be the place: ‘Armed with will and determination, and grace, too’

The trees outside Garret's front door. Garret K. Woodward photo

In the midst of the most important and crucial presidential election in my 39 years of existence in this country and, perhaps, also that of my now elderly parents and long-gone grandparents, I decided to order a New York Strip Steak, medium with sautéed onions.

Singletree Heritage Kitchen. Depot Street. Downtown Waynesville. Mostly empty parking lot, a rarity at this fine dining establishment. Dining area quiet, too. The bar counter had enough seats available to accommodate myself, my girlfriend, Sarah, and also one of my closest friends in this lifetime and in this universe.

No TVs on the walls blaring the latest election results from Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia around 7:30 p.m. No gregarious faces of liquor and vigor waxing poetic about either side of the political aisles. No sense of a nation riddled with anxiety as the streets outside the front window stayed silent, a lone car here and there every so often to remind you this isn’t the end of times.

“There must be some big sports event tonight,” the bartender sarcastically noted, our trio finishing the last sips of a delicious California pinot noir in gusto amid this fleeting, intrinsic moment of being together — in solitude and in gratitude.

While family, friends, neighbors and strangers alike huddled around TVs, smart phones and radios listening to the unfolding democratic process of installing the next commander-in-chief in the White House, we talked about plans for the upcoming holidays — the three of us well-aware of the heaviness of the outside world awaiting our return, once the bill was paid and we headed home.

Earlier in the day, I went and voted at my local polling place. The old North Carolina National Guard Armory tucked away the Frog Level neighborhood of Waynesville. A couple of older folks manning the polls. Walked in and I was the only one there to vote. “Well, look at you, you just missed the big line earlier,” the lady smiled.

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I was alone in the voting area, filling out my ballot and thinking about how incredible it is to be able to vote in a democratic election. And how many millions of Americans are also doing the same thing I’m doing in this same moment across the country.

It’s never been lost of me to have the right to exercise your political vote. And I’ve been coming to that same armory for the last 12 years to vote. Sitting there, I also kept thinking about how many folks are now politically engaged in the voting process these days. The early voting and day-of turnout numbers hit new records.

And that’s a good thing. I look at the high turnout as a true litmus test of where we are as an American society, for good or ill. The lens is becoming more and more focused as to where we stand as a people in the United States in 2024 and beyond.

Some say it’s disheartening to look through that lens. But, I see it as a country in a continual work-in-progress mode. This clearer lens shows us the reality of our country and what lengths we still must go to achieve unity amongst the masses.

I’d rather have a harsh reality of our current national situation than rose-colored glasses and sugar-coating the truth of what surrounds us. Don’t forget, a fundamental pillar of democracy is compromise through disagreement. Work towards the common goal of figuring out the best option or solution to problems plaguing our country.

I also thought about how wild it was in the “old days” when you couldn’t tell political parties apart, at least not by much. Remember those Al Gore/George Bush debates from almost 25 years ago, where they looked and sounded like two sides of the same coin?

Hell, nowadays President Bill Clinton would be considered a moderate Republican based on his pro-business and anti-regulation stances, while President Richard Nixon would be considered somewhat of a moderate Democrat with his EPA bills for clean water and clean air.

Thus, everything you may hate about Donald Trump (corruption, corporate greed, environmental issues, womanizing) has, sadly, been in politics since America was founded. The same things folks point fingers at him about were the same things brought up as criticism towards other presidents going back decades.

Although he tossed gasoline onto the fire of division in this country, Trump isn’t the cause of this hate and anger in America that sometimes feels like a shiny apple with a rotted core when placed against the rest of the planet. He’s the result of years of neglect towards everyday people in often-forgotten corners of this country.

And everything you may love about Kamala Harris (inclusivity, progressive ideals, women’s rights) will still continue to be fought for in the years and generations to come — it’s just that important. America has always been a moving target of pursuit and purpose.

Since the dawn of democracy, politics is a messy, haphazard and sometimes dangerous and violent game. This presidential election won’t tie up all of those loose ends, either spiritually, politically or culturally — in my backyard or yours. North, south, east or west, we’re all in this together, come hell or high water.

I will always aim to learn more about myself and others around me. The only way to grow as a human is to connect, especially with those you may disagree with. That’s real democracy.

Regardless of politics, of yelling and screaming, of chaos and confusion (that will surely emerge and soak into the fabric of our daily lives moving ahead), what remains is what we first learned in the sandbox when we were just kids — “treat others the way you want to be treated.”

No matter what happens, “The Golden Rule” should apply within our society, especially in a modern world seemingly gone mad, with many knowns and unknowns appearing on the horizon like undulating waves in a sometimes hard-to-navigate ocean.

I remain an eternal optimist, for the good in people and in this land of ours stretching from sea to shining sea. Lend a hand. Give a hug. Help out humanity. Work for peace. For what else can you do?

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