What a mess.

We are in a big mess and it’s growing by the day.

I became interested in history around 4th grade. My father has a B.A. in History. He’d often tell me the back story to certain key moments in US or World History or provide more details to topics I learned about in school.

In junior high and high school, I became fascinated with the government and how it runs. I wanted to be a senator too. I even went to Washington, DC twice for a week long summer program that gave an in-depth look on the government and how it operates.

Back then, I understood at an early age how our national leaders or the government in full can help or hinder the people or certain populations of people. I also knew that a senator or representative is to be a voice for the people they represent. Now that I am older, I can see first hand the impact of what I understood in theory as a child.

This current pandemic has revealed the weakness and vulnerabilities of society, that have always been present but are now magnified for all to see. That magnification extents to our leaders that are both in our public and our private sector.

So many lives are being lost, in peacetime and it’s all unnecessary.

This could have been prevented at the beginning, if appropriate decisions and actions were made. We still have a chance to control the effects of this pandemic on our shores, but that means our leaders need to make a choice and one that leans towards the long term health of the community.

I feel stuck, like I am in the middle of the water in a boat without a paddle.

While there are things I can do to mange the experience for me as well as help other manage and navigate their own experience, the knowledge that this experience is causing daily trauma and horror for so many people concerns me.

What would calm my heart, and quiet my anger is to see not only compassion, but true leadership from people in key leadership positions. These two qualities I want to believe are present in everyone, but I feel the person who is in a leadership positions shut down this quality a long time ago to the point that it is now foreign to them.

Today’s Tune popped in my head this week because of the specific lyric “I need a hero” from the song “Holding Out for a Hero,” by Bonnie Tyler. The song speaks to the hero that we need in this moment, one that we are “holding out for” one who is willing to stand up to ” be strong” and lead from the heart.

Love Stephanie – XO

Video and Lyrics below.

Holding out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?
Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life!
Larger than lifeSomewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There’s someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It’s gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear there is someone, somewhere
Watching me
Through the wind, and the chill, and the rain
And the storm, and the flood
I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night