Another fine guest post from Jean. Be sure to check out her site, "Pondering". Musical addition by yours truly.

for a long time
I stopped.
flat disappeared.
and when you
are not
there is nowhere
to go.
so you stay
where you're not
and never wake up.
'til a day comes
that jars you
and the wounds
start to bleed.
then you get up
and walk
through the door
into daylight
and you see that
the road to salvation
is waiting
right where it's ever been the whole time
that you thought
you were not.

blue skies
smilin' at me
nothin' but
blue skies
do I see.

if I were
any happier
I'd have to
wear a bib.

Rob Schneider - Blue Skies For Everyone

I forget who phrased this thought in this manner but it stuck with me:

"Being a professional is doing all the things you love doing at times when you don't feel like doing them"

“If you are afraid of the voices, the opinions and the conscience that guide your very own people … If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor for that matter is there anything you can do for the American people.”

The same applies to factions of our own US and State governments as well.