Since late Friday afternoon, the country has been in a sort of twilight sleep...not fully awake and not fully asleep. It is that moment when we awaken in the middle of the night, groggy, disoriented, unfocused. For a brief moment a wave of anxiety passes over us as the primordial fear of the dark stirs far back in our reptilian brain. Objects and shapes familiar in the light of day take on a sinister aspect. Our pulse rate quickens and our breath comes in short bursts. It is a moment in our daily life when the only thing we are fearing is fear itself.
The moment passes as quickly as it began. The room comes back into dim focus. Our partner is still slumbering next to us. And the dogs are curled up back to back dreaming of snow and rabbits to be chased. We roll over and settle back down to sleep. And in the morning, as we peer at that awful creature staring back at us in the mirror, we smile at the childishness of what occurred.
The country is having a three day extended version of that moment. It is tossing and turning, trying to banish the fears and worries of the known and unknown from its somnolent state. We know that the sun will rise soon. We know that with each new day, we are given the choice of cursing our lot in life or changing it for the better.
The day will began a little late on Tuesday, January 20th. The sun will rise on a new day at precisely 12:01 PM. And the country will make that choice. We can only hope it's the right one.