To the editor:

An odd thing happened to me last week. On Nov. 5 I woke up believing in God and wanting to fly an American flag. A friend warned that I would be disappointed when things don’t go as well or as quickly as we would like. But please, I’m not that naive.

It’s like we’ve been in the back seat of a car driven by a cocky and reckless but unskilled driver with even worse navigational skills. We’ve taken the wrong turn again and again, and have been careening along narrow and bumpy roads in unfamiliar territory for so long now that all we know is that there’s a cliff on one side and a blind curve ahead.

On Nov. 4, American voters decided to let a more skilled and careful driver take the wheel. He’s still walking around outside of the car. And we’re still next to the cliff and lost in territory we should have never headed for in the first place. But now we can take a deep breath and relax at least a little bit, knowing that our new driver will do everything possible to inch away from the cliff and begin heading back in the right direction.

I am a proud American and my flag is flying out front right now in the cool, autumn breeze. I am more hopeful than ever. I will do what I can to help within my community and elsewhere. And I will be patient.

Christy Kennedy
Lawrence