In my unceasing drive to find positive things to think about following the apocalypse of last November, I note that our gardens are doing spectacularly. The daffodils and tulips are just finishing, and the Mexican petunias are preparing for their show. (No tariff jokes, please). By the time they are done, whatever lilies have survived the assault of the killer rabbits will hold the stage. Meanwhile, in the world of the vegetable garden, sugar snap peas are racing for the sky, and the first green glimmers of beets are apparent. Lettuce will be consumable by this weekend, and tiny shoots of what will eventually be monster-sized squash plants are emerging. Maybe THIS will be the year their fruits won’t shrivel after growing that first tantalizing two inches. (No jokes of ANY kind, please).

Several high school classmates recently wrote on Facebook about their efforts to “resist.” I admire their efforts and the well-meaning persistence of their vision for America. I, too, manned the proverbial barricades last fall. Living in the “swing” state of North Carolina, I gladly spent each Saturday morning canvassing in Durham. My wife, Katie, joined me. The experience was rife with cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, the group that assembled downtown for our neighborhood assignments showed the enthusiasm of youngsters at a Springsteen concert. On the other hand, nearly all the participants were of the generation that experienced “Born to Run” as a brand new song.

Trudging around the neighborhoods, clipboard and phone in hand, I was struck by several things that probably didn’t afflict earlier generations of canvassers. One, nearly every doorway has a Ring or other camera-utilizing doorway. Though I don’t see myself as particularly scary-looking, 80-90% of households did not respond to my knock or ring. Of those who did respond, though they were listed as “Democrats,” there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm and interest in voting. A few (usually male) were even hostile to our candidate. I will leave it to political and psychological analysts more knowledgeable than myself to speculate why.

In the end, Durham came through with its usual 79-21 margin for the “good guys.” (“Less bad guys,” for those cynics out there). However, the turnout was disappointing and several percent lower than in 2020. The hoped-for margins necessary to overwhelm the non-urban parts of the State failed to materialize. This relative lack of interest puzzles me, and I wonder if there is regret in the minds of those who didn’t show up. Or is there simply obliviousness?

Walking around the block today, I met a twenty-something neighbor, freshly unemployed from her probationary job at the EPA. She was working on something newly deemed subversive, modeling measures to confront climate change. She told me her family is unsympathetic to her plight. As “one issue” voters, they are delighted with how things are proceeding. It’s easy to guess what that issue is. They call themselves “pro-life.” This means they support any politician and any judge who votes to prevent women from exercising choice. Being open-minded (I do try, at least), I accept that some people really don’t like abortion rights. However, the politicians and judges they crave are far less likely to support sane gun provisions, environmental protections, and any restrictions on the death penalty. Don’t those three things count as “pro-life,” too? In their totality, don’t they balance out? (Yes, I am apparently a naif).

What to do moving forward? I expect to eventually return to the barricade. However, this is a season of recovery in my household. We have sworn off televised news and only peruse the Times once each day to see what the creepy clown car is up to. Katie is painting flowers and greeting cards. I have been writing middle-grade novels. The first will be published in about a month and will appeal, I hope, to any 7-10-year-old reader who has ever played or wanted to play soccer. It should also appeal to any 7-10-year-old reader who has NEVER wanted to play soccer or any other sport since my protagonist is such a person, at least in the beginning. Who’s got children or grandchildren?! It’ll be available on Amazon and Kindle.