Happy Earth Hour!

So, I'm sitting here in the dark--well, there is a glow from my laptop and a single candle--thinking all sorts of highfalutin thoughts about saving the planet. But you know what? I am more inspired by the thought of being united in a positive way to people all around our planet.

I recently visited the Holocaust Museum and Memorial in Washington, DC.

Wait, there is a happy angle to this.

While I was there, I was--as expected--struck by the images and moved to tears by the stories. But in the end, as I looked upon the room filled with shoes from folks who disappeared during those dark days--tears streaming down my face--I caught sight of a delicate, dressy sandal. The image of a lovely women and her husband flashed into my mind. They were in front of a shop and she was pointing at those shoes. He invited her to go inside and try them on. She accepted his offer and delightedly tried them on--pausing to look at her pretty feet in the mirror. She felt wonderful and beautiful in those shoes.

I finally found what I was looking for in that building; a personal connection.

Connection.

Yep. I am an Idealist. I am sure thousands of people have seen that same sandal and thought the range of thoughts--from anger to boredom to love. In that moment, I was gifted with the incongruous thought of happiness in spite of the bleak surroundings. I felt connected to this woman--though admittedly all in my own head--as a lover of pretty things and as a shoe-hound and as a woman.

So, here I sit in the dark thinking happy thoughts. In some small way, it is delightfully sweet to look out on this darkened-for-an-hour planet and see millions of connections. I know there are others who are hopeful. I know there are others who work for good. I know there are others who believe in love.

We are all in this together. What wonderful news!

Howdy, neighbor!