I was greeted today by a breeze and a morning shower, a beautiful sight after a dry and hot Texas summer. Rain always provides a great metaphor for life, family and career. It represents a clean washing of the past and new prospects for the future. Rain brings with it minerals and vital nutrients, essential for growth, and it always gives me hope that great things are in store. Rain, to me, is optimism.
I don’t think we see much of that optimism these days. Bad news means ratings for news media. For career politicians, bad news becomes their opportunity to attack their opponents and push their agenda. They spend days seeking stories of crisis and tragedy which they can twist and mold for attacks and talking points. To these party loyalists, very soon our pain becomes their quest, their craving, and their livelihood. THAT right there is exactly why so many of us- Republicans, Democrats, and Independents- hold such a distrust of the political class. It’s why so many San Antonio residents encourage me, a non-politician, to bring rain to the Congressional seat in District 20.
What happened to the optimism of the great leaders of the past? I was raised in a Democrat household who knew and respected leaders like John F. Kennedy and Henry B Gonzalez. These leaders gave us hope for a bright future. They unified us. They listened to us. Our successes were their successes and our pain was shared by all. Call me naïve, but I believe we can have that climate once again. We can have that representation. We can have that leadership.
I would rather be naively optimistic and fail than to root for failure and succeed. Your success, your prosperity, is my goal, regardless of your party or donor status. We here in Texas can be the example of what is right. We can show the suits and lobbyists in Washington DC that great things are worth celebrating. And for those like Joaquin Castro who continue to capitalize on pain and tragedy, we can wash them away. Let’s do this San Antonio!