Laura Hubka returned as chair the Howard County Democrats earlier this year after some time away from party leadership roles. She has long tried to bridge the gap between opposing factions in Democratic circles. -promoted by desmoinesdem

How many days until the mid-term election? Ask any “normal” person in Iowa and they probably could not tell you. As of today there are 83 days.

What could go wrong?

1. We can continue to litigate the 2016 election. We will find and see every article that proves that “WE” were right and “they” were wrong. (no matter who “they” are)

2. We can sit back and stress out and assume we are lost and hopeless.

3. We can consume days and days worth of articles and videos and share them with our friends and family thinking that somehow this will change hearts and minds.

4. We can blame and shame our allies, friends, families and neighbors for voting for anyone other than Hillary Clinton, or for voting for Donald Trump.

5. We can never reach out and have a conversation. It kills me every time I see someone mention that they REFUSE to have a conversation with someone who voted for Trump. I do it every day.

6. We can underestimate the true value of our voices and our smiles and our tears.

7. We can neglect to tell our stories. They are valuable.

8. We can sit and be scared and anxious.

OR:

1. We can look back at 2016 and never fall for that again. We can stop reading the articles that entice us with the tag line that accuses. Let it go.

2. We can take a breath and know we are neither lost or hopeless. There is hope.

3. We can write letters to the editor. We can write up fact sheets and leave them on the tables at coffee shops.

4. We can SEE our allies, friends, families and neighbors for the humans that they are and reach out. We can find it in ourselves to forgive and for that matter, be forgiven.

5. We can have conversations again. OK, sometimes it will be painful and sad. But reach out!

6. We can use our voices and our smiles and yes, tears to convey a message that is meaningful to the people around us.

7. We can tell our stories and the stories of the pain and suffering that this administration is causing.

8. We can get the hell up and fight for everything. No matter how scared or anxious you are, there is a cost to staying silent.

My point is that we can either “get over ourselves” or not. If we cannot stop litigating who is at fault for Trump, we will miss the opportunity to come together and make something great happen. We can save ourselves from what we have become. I know what I am talking about, I left my seat on the State Central Committee last year out of frustration. If I can move forward and see the point of the greater good, then I know you can too.

Can we be the “ones we are waiting for”? Or do we have to wait until the water is not drinkable, the air is full of pollution, and the poor and elderly are in the streets?