a few appointments with hope

There IS a little hope out there. I have voices in my head that want me to censor it - " Be Realistic!" they admonish, which apparently means, give in to fatalism and despair. And they gain strength, and steal mine, any time I tune in to media (which is why I call it "mediation", just like "sedation"). But, I need the hope, because I'm human. And I think others do too. No matter how insignificant or unsophisticated it may look, next to the Real News. These few notes, then, from today's Common Dreams listing:

"Obama Picks a Conscience for the CIA"
www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/09-3.

"Let Justice Roll: National Faith Leaders Call for Lifting Economy by Raising Minimum Wage"
www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/01/09-0.

"Be the Peace": a thoughtful, almost prayer-full opinion piece, on Gaza/Israel and our larger choices regarding war or peace, by Chicago journalist Robert Koehler. The kind of contemplation and open-endedness that I would love to see more of in the public conversation:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/08-2

And last, a photo on the site's homepage lifts my spirits, irrationally maybe, but offering proof that yes, this change of administrations really is going to happen...the caption preceding the article reads, wonderfully: "President Bush speaks as President-elect Barack Obama looks over his shoulder", and that's just what it depicts.