Hope and Process

What I realized about writing while watching the inauguration

Watching the presidential inauguration, I was struck by the comfort I found in the ceremony itself.

The event moved forward through a predictable process rooted in the past. People sang, gave speeches, and administered oaths in a predetermined order. Then the work of the new administration started with process as well, as Vice President Harris swore in senators and President Biden signed executive orders.

While many people, myself among them, greet the new administration with a sense of hope, the hard days ahead will define this term.

Hope and process are necessary companions.

Whenever we start anything major, we’re always optimistic for a great outcome-whether it’s a job, a new relationship, or a writing project. But the success of these longer endeavors depends on our actions.

Without action, hope is an empty promise.

Hope and promise reinforce each other

Hope gets us started. It may galvanize us into taking the first steps. But hope is like a fast-twitch muscle, easily overwhelmed with fatigue. It rarely carries us all the way to the end we envision when the path ahead of us is long.