Cheryl Mendoza

So it is the day after the election.  For us here in Central California, it is a foggy day.  Now when I first moved to Lemoore, people warned me about the fog, but I didn’t really listen.  I mean, I grew up in San Jose, where fog would roll in from the Santa Cruz mountains.  How much worse could it be?  Well, it is like night and day!  The Tule fog in the valley can be truly dangerous.  After being in both types of fog, it seems to me that the fog here goes all the way to the ground.  Driving in it is awful because you can only see so much in front of you, and then you cannot even see the lines to get a good bearing as to where you are. And at nighttime?  Well to tell you the truth, after the Christmas in 2005 when the fog rolled in while I was shopping, and then I could not find my car in the parking lot?   I don’t really drive in the fog at night.

Today though was not a horrible fog day.   It was patchy, and did not go all the way down to the ground.  As I walked though, it was interesting to look ahead and see how the fog distorted what was ahead of me.  Now I walk the same way pretty much every day, so I know what is to come, even before seeing it.

The barber shop is always open, people are stopping by the ATM at the bank, there is a clock in town that has the wrong time and kids are on their way to school.  There is so much that I expect to see when I walk, and even in the fog, I know it will be there.

So as I was walking, I thought that the fog was a good analogy for the near future.  We know some of what to expect, but there are some details that are a little hazy the farther we look ahead.  In the distance we can see things moving, but we don’t necessarily see the details or how it may all fit together.

We don’t have the whole picture.

That may make some of us uncomfortable, and others downright scared.  Then there are others that think they know what is ahead.  They will travel under the assumption that things will be just how they expect.  They may or may not be surprised by what they find.

For me, I am optimistic.  Is it because my candidate won?  No.  It is because I have used the only power that I have in politics.  And that my friends, was my vote.  I did what I was supposed to do in the election process, and I cast my vote in the best way I knew how.  In that sense, I am content, but my job is not done.

Today is another day where I have the opportunity to live like I say I believe.  This is really where I think we have the most impact on our communities, the country and the world.

So today is really just another day.  No better or worse than yesterday.  Today is a day where I am going to try and continue to live out who God made me to be.

I want to love God, and love my neighbor more than myself.  To seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly.