Got Hope?

I’ve been cleaning out drawers and files this year.  A few days ago I came across a small piece of paper which said, “Writing is a sign of hope.”  I don’t remember writing it, I don’t remember the quotation, but it’s obvious I wrote it, probably years ago.  And it still strikes me as true, and one of the reasons I write.  I write in my journal for myself.  I rarely come back and read it, so it’s just the process of putting my thoughts on paper.  Yesterday, I spend a good chunk of the morning writing an op-ed piece for the local newspaper.  This piece is more outrageous than pieces I’ve written before, so I haven’t decided yet whether or not to send it.  And then there’s this blog.

That started me thinking about blogs, letters, and opinion pieces I read online and in the newspaper.  The writers often seem so sure.  Does anybody care unless they already agree?  Ta-Nehisi Coates is my favorite blogger.  I imagine he attracts those who lean towards his views, mainly liberal I’d say.  But the reason he’s my favorite is his openness to new ideas.  He writes interesting articles while still seeming unsure and reaching for a better answer.  Over and over, I’m moved by this in his writing.

Coates writes about some things I’m not interested in (of course), but over and over, he sends out his signs of hope.  You can find him here.