Allergic

Ah, Spring. We long for it. We keep it in our hearts through long winters. We envision the return of flowers, mild temperatures, sunny afternoons. And yet.

And yet it doesn't take long for Spring allergies to kick in and make many of us miserable. There's just not enough medication in the world, it seems, to relieve the symptoms. And no word of a cure in the offing.

For me, Spring is bringing other things I am allergic to, for which there is no known treatment or cure.

• Columbia elections. Nobody votes, nobody gets it, nobody cares, and we'll just do it again next year.
• Warmer temperatures bring more opportunities to censure girls for their clothing choices.
• School budgets that reflect only views of management without meaningful input from parents and staff. Politicians who "don't want to interfere."

Last night brought out a whole new allergic reaction for me--to people who seem to be reasonable neighbors and acquaintances who keep words like "animals" , "thugs", and "punks" in their back pockets ready to pull out for use on social media. Clearly these are people I must be careful to avoid. At least now I know who they are.

A shout-out today to everyone who is engaged in their community, their schools, and to those who are working for justice, and committed to changing the world for the better. If there is a cure for what ails us, it is in your efforts. I'm just not feeling it today. But I know it's true.