It’s worth noting that the first thing that Gov. Tim Walz said in his speech Tuesday evening was “Thank you for bringing back the joy.”
“Joy,” or as the French put it, joie de vivre, is such a vital part of life, that we often forget all about it until it’s gone. Many of us have experienced the effects of its distressing, even traumatic absence at one time or another during our lives. The most devastating thing about losing that joy of life is that its loss almost always endured alone.
But finding out that we’re not alone, after all. Well, that’s something really valuable.
This has been a consistent theme this past week, and I’m so glad to see it recognized up front and picked up by by Gov. Walz.
A lot of people have compared what’s happening now with Vice-President Harris (and now with her running mate) to the early days of the Obama campaign, and for those of us who remember 2008, there is definitely some truth to that. Essentially there’s a real sense now of something for people to look forward to that just wasn’t there over the last few months. There’s optimism, enthusiasm, even exuberance. There’s joy, again.
The point is that the loss of joy, and then suddenly getting it back like this, is really unusual and special. It’s not a common thing. That’s why I think this moment in time is so worth remembering and embracing.
Gov. Walz also emphasized this in the phone call in which he accepted the opportunity to be Vice President Harris’ running mate. He says:
“The joy that you’re bringing back to the country, the enthusiasm that’s out there, it’ll be a privilege to take this with you across the country.”
But I admit what started this rambling rumination was the fact that I could only come up with one other example where this loss of joy and the desire for its return it has been so clearly expressed.
This is Lucinda Williams’, appropriately titled, “Joy.”
As Beau says, ”just a thought.” Thanks for reading.
