Definitions: Lessons I Learned From The Election.

Well, the election's over. What a relief. Most people have moved on and written their congressmen about their concerns or joy, gotten back to their lives and most have generally forgotten it. There are exceptions. As you know, some people live and breathe politics. For them, no matter who wins, they spend most of their spare time endlessly dissecting every phrase, every word and every action of politicians. They listen to either Rush Limbaugh or Al Franken or their ilk. Then there are those who, when their candidate loses, just can't live with what happens when the electorate disagrees with them. Ignoring their own citizenship papers, they howl, "Americans are idiots!"

In spending time with family, friends, business associates and passersby on the street the past couple of weeks, there have been comments that bother me to no end. I can't reconcile the wonderful nature of some of these people when I hear their words. Let me share some of the words that pop in my mind when I listen to them:

zeal⋅ot

–noun

1.	a person who shows zeal.

2.	an excessively zealous person; fanatic.

in⋅tol⋅er⋅ance

–noun

1.	lack of toleration; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs, persons of different races or backgrounds, etc.

2.	incapacity or indisposition to bear or endure: intolerance to heat.

3.	abnormal sensitivity or allergy to a food, drug, etc.

4.	an intolerant act.

big⋅ot⋅ry

–noun, plural -ries.

1.	stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.

2.	the actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc., of a bigot.

fear

–noun

1.	a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

2.	a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights.

3.	concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety.

4.	reverential awe, esp. toward God.

5.	that which causes a feeling of being afraid; that of which a person is afraid: Cancer is a common fear.

–verb (used with object)

6.	to regard with fear; be afraid of.

7.	to have reverential awe of.

8.	Archaic. to experience fear in (oneself).

–verb (used without object)

9.	to have fear; be afraid.

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As I've heard and read what these people have said, many of whom I love, I thought I'd just get out the old dictionary.com and find out what the words that circle in my head really mean. It brings to mind that old movie, "A Clockwork Orange", where the State subjected criminals to scenes of terrible crimes and their aftermath to condition them against committing crime again. Could subjecting people to the words themselves change them? Probably not. But, maybe, just looking at the meanings of the words will eliminate the anonymity they hide in when letting out their dark side even if just in jest.

We all have better and lesser angels in us. I hope that the words I've heard, the awful comments, the intolerant attitudes, will lose out to the good in all of us. If not, we're probably too late to save our culture. Polarization of the masses will inevitably lead to our demise. It's happened over and over in history. What I think is unconscionable is to simply watch and wait for the end.

This continent we inhabit has seen Indians, Spanish, French, German, English, African, Italian and others all come here to find a better life. Some voluntarily and some not. We have a unique opportunity right now to start a new chapter. For the zealots and bigots trapped in fear, which is truly where the lesser angels truly get their power, let's leave them to their hatred. For the rest of us, let's push forward, get involved and try to create what the founding fathers really had in mind. I am often reminded of those that seek to return us to say, 1776, with the intention of dismantling our government and have us stooping over a fire for light and comfort, of these words:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Time Out

When one seeks refuge, one might look to the ocean, the mountains or even the anonymity of a City park. This weekend, it was found in the mountains of North Georgia. The Blue Ridge Mountains provide a beautiful setting of changing seasons this time of year. With some close friends, a fire in the outdoor fireplace and a good bottle of wine, the rigors of everyday living were stripped of their power. Though everyone had different views of life, peace was found in the collegial nature that comes from being in a place of serenity. A time of joy was found in the similar need of everyone letting go of the pressing issues of jobs, schedules and deadlines. It was a cathartic weekend.

Blue Ridge, Georgia is a study in conflicted history and breathtaking natural beauty. Left to itself through generations of sameness, the influx of Boomers looking for the perfect hideaway has transformed it. The locals might argue, not for the better. While one can find, locked away on a state highway, a convenience store that advertises racial bigotry, ammo and confederate flags, "downtown" Blue Ridge sports wine and rare book shops, trendy restaurants and art galleries. There is obviously a tenuous peace between the two colliding worlds.

There is also the paradoxical nature of the evolution of communities. While fine wine can be purchased, it simply cannot be corked at the restaurants. You can buy the wine there and drink it in the parking lot, just not at your dinner table. Odd. While locals welcome the business during a recession that touches even here, they privately begrudge the liberal-leaning views of some of their patrons. Suspicion walks lock-step with a paper-thin gratitude for the patronage. In the end, the tranquil, soul-mending experience of wandering through God's fingerprints more than offsets the underlying roiling of the local population's mistrust.

To those who have chosen Blue Ridge, Georgia as a permanent residence, the reviews are mixed. The primitive views of the established are at odds with a new citizenry that crave the most basic of amenities they take for granted back in Atlanta. One example. We had hoped to visit with the Restaurateur of "RePaz", a lovely new restaurant in downtown Blue Ridge. She had told us on our last visit in October that she would find a way to navigate the "Blue Laws" of the county so that we could experience the excellent cuisine of her new restaurant, with some complimentary wines, after closing of course. As luck would have it, she, the night before our visit, had received a visit from the local police warning her that her wine-imbibing tendencies could result in at worst, her arrest and at the very least, the loss of her business license. On the night of our visit with our friends, she had passed the message to us through the wait staff that she was "under the weather". She didn't show. What a shame. The myopic views of the locals, unfortunately, still hold sway. We can only hope that even if it takes another generation, all of this will change.