The Congressman

Sunday morning I walked out my front day and saw the Congressman getting his dry cleaning out of his car. He lives next door. He said good morning and I said good morning back.

By the way.

I said.

My husband and I almost came over to see you the day after the election. We were so depressed and we wanted to tell you that NOW we're really counting on you....

His politics are great..he's always fighting the good fights and I don't think I've ever actually been represented by a member of congress who was so in line with my own beliefs. Often, when I see him out front I'll say, still giving Bush hell?

Of course, he always responds, but it's a big job.

This morning he said he was about to go up to Howard University to give a talk and it was funny, he said, that I'd mentioned the election.

He was just about to go talk to them about hope and cycles of things.

You have to remember, he said, that things go in cycles. And it's hard to know when you're in the middle of one or at the end.

"My father was a sharecropper and I went on to be Phi Beta Kappa, get a law degree and become a Congressman. No one could have predicted that."

He went on.

"There's a friend of mine who is going to be in the audience this morning. She has a Ph.d. Both her parents were illiterate. Now she's written a book called politics and the hip hop generation. No one could have predicted her future either.

I'm a man of great faith," he said. "And I can't believe....," he paused "maybe Bush is there for a reason, maybe we all have to work harder, get more focused and remember what we're trying to do"

"You just have to have hope."

"There's no question that we could all use a pep talk this morning," I said. He laughed, wished me a good day and went inside.

Even though I don't go to church, this as a pretty church like moment. If I can get this kind of pep talk, I'll sit on the front porch every Sunday...