We Shall See

It's been so long since I've posted on here. Life has been incredibly busy and full (an amazing and much needed trip to Spain, a very exciting and challenging opportunity to do some fight choreography, some yoga workshops and retreats), and now things are starting to come to a low boil.

Like much of the country, I've also been wrapped up in the recent Presidential race. It's been exciting and energizing to witness so many people getting really involved in the process, from the debates to the media, to the actual voting. This is truly what makes our country so amazing. Despite some of the problems of our nation, despite some of the problems in the process, and even despite some of the devisiveness that political seasons can uncover, the fact that We The People have a say in how we want our country to be shaped is inspiring.

I was very pleased with how the election turned out. This was an historic moment for our nation. Our first President, elected of the people, by the people and for the people, who happens to be African-American. It gives me hope for the world that my grand-daughter will grow up in. It gives me hope for the way our country is now perceived in the world. It gives me hope on so many different fronts, but I am constantly reminded of my favorite Yoga parables:

There once was a farmer. One day the farmer’s only horse broke out of the corral and ran away. The farmer’s neighbors, all hearing of the horse running away, came to the farmer's house to view the corral. As they stood there, the neighbors all said, "Oh what bad luck!" The farmer replied, "We shall see."

About a week later, the horse returned, bringing with it a whole herd of wild horses, which the farmer and his son quickly corralled. The neighbors, hearing of the corralling of the horses, came to see for themselves. As they stood there looking at the corral filled with horses, the neighbors said, "Oh what good luck!" The farmer replied, "We shall see."

A couple of weeks later, the farmer's son's leg was badly broken when he was thrown from a horse he was trying to break. A few days later the broken leg became infected and the son became delirious with fever. The neighbors, all hearing of the incident, came to see the son. As they stood there, the neighbors said, "Oh what bad luck!" The farmer replied, "We shall see."

At that same time in China, there was a war going on between two rival warlords. The warlord of the farmer's village was involved in this war. In need of more soldiers, he sent one of his captains to the village to conscript young men to fight in the war. When the captain came to take the farmer's son he found a young man with a broken leg who was delirious with fever. Knowing there was no way the son could fight, the captain left him there. A few days later, the son's fever broke. The neighbors, hearing of the son's not being taken to fight in the war and of his return to good health, all came to see him. As they stood there, each one said, "Oh what good luck!" The farmer replied, "We shall see."

While I'm pleased with the outcome of the election, we really don't know how things are going to go. Right now, for many people, this seems like a fresh ray of hope. I was moved by President Elect Obama's speech on the eve of the election, as well as Senator McCain's. Was this an historic moment? Absolutely, but once we get past the historic significance, this election was won more on a desire for change in the country than the election of the first black President. I'm sure PE Obama would agree with that. As PE Obama stated in his speech, "This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change."

Will this election, and the next four years be all many people are hoping and expecting? "We shall see."