Marching....

Up at 5:30am this cold, January morning. Checklist: long johns, gloves, hat, pussy ears, breakfast, lunch (leftover GF pizza I had last night, best pizza I ever had), phone, sketchbook, money for gas and metro, courage, trust, commitment. We met at a Park-n-Ride in north Colorado Springs, seven strangers. We piled into the van and had introductions on the road. We drove to the first metro stop along I-25, in south Colorado Springs. The empty train made its first stop at 6:30am and we, the crowd of marchers filled it. There was a crowd at each of the stops along the way to downtown Denver, but no more room in our train after the first or second stop. We were shoulder to shoulder with a smile on every face. We were women, men, and children; old and young; walkers and riders in wheelchairs; black and brown and white and every other color of the rainbow; gay and straight and trans and every other variety possible. And, we were all smiling, reveling in our unity. We arrived at Denver Civic Center moments before the march began and, with a gigantic cheer, we were off. The protest signs were inspiring, not negative or derogatory... well, there might have been a couple of insulting portrayals, but mostly the marchers carried signs describing the world they want to live in. The country they described was one of kindness, respect, diversity, health care for everyone, justice for all, dignity, inclusion, care for our Earth, respect, peace, love, and yes... rock-n-roll. A fit-bit at the end of the day recorded four and a half miles and all we saw were smiles, determination, and love. This is the world I want to live in. Sent January 26, 2017