Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Revisiting an old post in a new era. The idea is pretty good now more than ever.

Way back in 2009, I wrote a little post about the magic words, “Up until now.” These words imply that, while I have always lacked something or other, I can change my future and not be tied to the past.

This past week, I read something in the Washington Post about cuts in government spending and employment and gosh golly the world was coming to an end. The article ended with:

The two employees said they cannot imagine how their agency is going to fare with the current wave of cases.

To which I hopefully add, “up until now.” In the past, they could not imagine how their agency is going to fare. Now, however, they can. They can imagine how. They can change.

I am not naive. I know that article is about politics and political parties and philosophies and all those things. Still, we can change. We can sit and sigh and sulk for a moment because someone has done something that turns our world the wrong way. Then the moment is over. This is a new moment with new possibilities. We are not tied to the past. We can do things differently. Yes, we can. Let’s do better.