Just a thought on Hope

On this Saturday morning I was thinking much less about the "public good" and much more about my personal good as I embarked on the normal four-mile 'health' walk. Then, as I moved through the walls of fog and came upon the National Guard Armory a major surprise -- there was a platoon of young people. They were apparently engaged in a PFT test -- many of them were doing pushups with people in uniform doing the counting.

It was then that the ray of hope sort of burned off some of that morning fog. It was not quite eight oclock on a Saturday morning. The platoon was not age-diverse -- it was all young but beyond that it was America -- Southern style. There was every shade of person and nearly as many females as males and their mission -- to become better soldiers. For whom are they performing their mission -- Us or U.S., if that works better for you.

As I was watching and probably even counting some of those push ups, I was also listening to Tom Friedman's new book "Flat, Hot & Crowded" and a paragraph he had in his first part about the willingness and eagerness of our young citizens to become engaged in something bigger than themselves. Through my ears to the the front yard of the National Guard Armory. Proof that there is evidence for HOPE. To continue effective community building efforts hope is a critical ingredient.