A Writer's Notebook, Day One-Thousand-Two-Hundred-And-Ninety-Three

I was already having a rough evening.  A few hours ago, I received word that Ilja Wachs, one of my favorite college professors, someone who truly affected me in deep ways as a teacher, passed away recently.  I was intending to write a tribute to him tonight, talking about his loving presence and the wisdom he shared as a professor.  I would like to write that piece, but now, I can't focus on it beyond thinking of his liberal values and the love he expressed for all his students.  Tonight's news has me wishing that more people had his values in this world, though I suspect that many do, perhaps even most people.  It is not a matter of who believes what, right at this moment, it is a matter of who is in the position to take action and who is willing to.  I hope we find that their is a greater strength and resilience in this nations leaders, that they can use this moment as an opportunity to take action against what we are warned is coming.  Really, I don't know what can be done or even believe that we have anyone willing to take that action, but I want to feel more hopeful than this.  I want to put my trust in things turning out for the better.  Maybe if Ilja were here he would have something wise to say, but, in the end, the only potential comfort can come in the possibility of taking action to change things for the better.  It doesn't really feel like that means a lot at this moment, but it is better than accepting this and turning to despair.

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