Barbara J. Hamby

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Kinder, Gentler?

The window above my computer screen is a kaleidoscope of colors, from russet to the apple green of the inner leaves of the closest tree. I know that, if I close my eyes for a few days, I’ll see only naked branches when I open them again. Then, for the rest of the fall and winter season, my neighbor’s ugly satellite dish will be the center of my view. I think he may have finally removed the skeleton of a scarecrow that decorated a corner of our adjoining fence. I can’t see it now, but it may be hiding behind the remaining leaves.

My outdoor thermometer read 40 degrees when I got out of bed this morning. Heat waves rise from the chimney next door, where a wood stove is burning. I miss the friendly crackle of a wood fire, but don’t miss at all the black soot on my windows and curtains. My radiator style electric heater is not quite the same, but helps keep my legs warm at work.

By the time the trees are bare, I hope, the election will be over. No more nasty, repetitive commercials on television or radio, until the next time. Am I becoming more cynical, or are the campaigns getting more mean spirited? I hope the tragedy on 9/11 did not destroy the dream of a kinder, gentler America.