Election 2024: ‘This could be a celebration now, now’

Yesterday's dusting of snow seen along the Front Range. Tomorrow, we're likely to have much more snow and from what I hear: A new U.S. president.

As The Weed left for the office this morning, I remarked: ‘Leftovers and Steve Kornacki tonight. Buckle up.’

He sighed, grumbled, and closed the door behind him on his way out.

I think his sentiments pretty well sum up what many people are feeling as this unprecedented election cycle comes to a close.

For example, my friend Trevor wrote for USA Today over the weekend about the anxiety and outright fear some Americans are feeling these days as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump cap their campaigns for the presidency.

Many people mentioned in the story cited concerns about the economy, a second Trump term, unchecked immigration, and healthcare access.

Some mentioned specific fears, including Claude Allen, 58, of Raleigh, NC, who said he’s considering carrying a gun for protection if Trump again refuses to accept a loss, while Emily Gregory, 42, of Michigan, said she worries her oldest daughter won’t be able to find a job if Harris wins, even if a Trump vote means she loses abortion access.

It’s important these voices are heard even though millions of us already have cast our ballots and today likely promises a stomachache (not from the leftover penne, Weed), a stress headache, and/or a celebratory sip of champagne.

Four years ago, I wrote about Election 2020 while reflecting on the words of the great John Lewis. A staunch civil and voting rights advocate, Lewis said: ‘I have said this before, and I will say this again. The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in democracy.’

I miss John Lewis. A lot.

In his place, a new generation of people is coming to the forefront to share their insights and, in this case, to use facts and history to put the nation’s news in context.

Heather Cox Richardson has spent her career writing about the day’s current events and putting them into perspective by looking to and highlighting our shared past.

Her social media posts for the last several years have been a sort of grounding for me as this election cycle has spun and spun.

When I went to her Facebook page today, her post was simple: ‘This song has gotten me through. If you're nervous, give it a listen. And my most profound thanks to David Mallett and The Mallett Brothers Band. Truly couldn't have done any of this without their music.’

If you’re inclined, check out the video for the song, Celebration, by David Mallet. It helped settle me this morning as I come to terms with tomorrow’s predicted snowstorm and the unknown(s) of election 2024.

Here are some parting words from the song: ‘This can't be our destination. This could be a better nation. Time to set the big horse racin.' We can change the situation. Trains are leavin' from the station. Need a brand-new generation. This could be a celebration now, now.’