Moving to a State of Hope

The world has changed at both a snail’s pace and with overwhelming rapidity over the last month or so. From initial concerns over Coronavirus and staying home, to anger and grief over the murder of George Floyd and the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality, and now Coronavirus cases exploding in areas that had rapidly reopened, it’s hard to keep up with everything.

Protest art in Providence

In the middle of all this uncertainty and unrest, The Mechanic and I are moving, far from the Washington, DC, metro area. Someday, when we being to return to worksites, I’ll be taking a commuter train from Providence, RI, to a small town in southern Massachusetts, where my new job is headquartered. Yes, we are moving to Rhode Island. The smallest state in the United States by area, Rhode Island is tucked between Connecticut and Massachusetts, and called the Ocean State because so much of the border is ocean coastline. The state motto is “hope,” and it’s on the state flag, along with an anchor, which has it’s own hopeful symbolism – a traditionally Christian symbol, it signifies strength and stability.

Rhode Island’s “hope” anchor as bike wheels!

Right now, I think we all need to be in a state of hope. Hope that Americans will wake up to the seriousness of Coronavirus and work together to bring down the alarming infection and death rates. Hope that Americans have at last woken up the the racism that seeps through our society, because Black lives matter. Hope that the economy won’t break the country, ruin the arts, and push us into a great depression like that of the 1930s. Hope that we will come out of this stronger and more united, because we care about others. Not back to normal – better than before.

Gay Pride Hope in Providence

I will let you decide what hopes you have, and what symbols bring you hope and strength. I have an anchor charm (from Alex and Ani, ironically, a Rhode Island company) and a rabbit charm to remind me to have hope.

Rabbit leaping over an obstacle with the Latin phrase “Spes Vincit Thronum,” meaning “Hope Conquers”

The next time you hear from me, I will be biking and sewing in a whole new area! I look forward to exploring and learning new things, and I *hope* you will stay tuned for adventures ahead.

One of many huge murals on a building wall in Providence, this is called “Still Here,” and pays tribute to the Narragansett Tribe. Art by @gaiastreetart.