Veterans' Day 2020

Last Saturday, I was just heading out for a walk with my friend Kyung. We were nearing the Arthur Fiedler Bridge, on our way to the Esplanade, a lovely park that runs along the Charles River. We heard car horns starting to honk, full-throated cheering. We looked at each other. This could only mean one thing. Yes!

Having worn my Biden Aviators/Harris Chucks shirt three out of the prior four days, I had retired it in favor of my Women's March Boston January 2017 tee. In any case, I felt appropriately dressed for a bit of a celebration.

We continued on our walk - a beautiful day that felt more like September than November - along a crowded Esplanade. Lots of folks out walking or biking. Lots of dogs. Lots of kids. 

Was it just me, or did everyone seem relieved and joyful? After all, Boston gave Biden-Harris 83% of our votes. So, yes, I'll say that it just wasn't my imagination. People WERE relieved and joyful. 

We stopped a couple of times to answer relieved, joyful texts from friends; ordered a pizza; and swung back to The Hill to pick it up. 

We took it back to my place - we're in each other's very small bubbles - and plunked ourselves down in front of the TV to watch the news. We even turned on Fox for a bit. They were rather subdued but mostly realistic. We switched back to our joint political TV home, MSNBC, once we heard someone (was it Ari Fleischer?) tell us that we needed to give Trump time to get a grip on his emotions before we can expect him to concede. Come on. He's the President of the United States. Grow the f up!

After scarfing down our pizza - and never has pizza tasted better - we walked back out. There was some sort of gathering up by the State House, and another on Boylston Street at the corner of the Common and the Public Garden, but we didn't go. We just walked around and soaked up the crowd excitement - with lots of honking in the background.

I am so relieved. I am so joyful.

Yes, I'm aware that the next couple of months could be quite fraught. Trump can do a shit-ton of harm on his way out the door. So far (I'm writing this on Saturday evening), Trump is still insisting that he has won. 

Yes, I'm aware that McConnell will likely be in charge of the Senate, and is perfectly capable of being his rancid, obstructionist self and block even the most centrist and modest thing that Biden wants to get done. 

Yes, I'm aware that nearly half of the electorate went out and voted for someone I believe to be singularly unfit for the office he holds. (Forget the lies, the ignorance, the bullying, the racism, the misogyny, the proud no-nothingness, the meanness, the QANON nonsense, the encouragement to white nationalists/fascists, the scorn for the military. Do you have to personally die from COVID before you accept the fact that we're in the midst of a pandemic? And that we have a far worse death rate than virtually all other "advanced" economies?)

I'm just exhausted. You'd think I'd have done something more than write 300 get-out-the-vote and make anytime-I'm-asked donations through Act Blue.

And today we celebrate Veterans Day, a non-holiday holiday if ever. 

Here's what I had to say last year. It still holds. 

So Happy Veterans Day to our veterans. And Happy It's Almost Over Day to all Americans.