The Day Before The Day Of

It is hard to get around, whether you work in news or not, the fact that today was the last day our current president inhabits the White House and the day before our next is inaugurated. It was hard not to have the feeling of dread or anticipation or whatever pieces of the "day before" feeling you might have. Obviously, this is a highly significant "day before." And yet, it is also a "day before" the way so many others are. You see, on the day, whatever that day is, we forge ahead--happily or not, resigned or angry, but moving ahead. But on the day before, we cannot yet "forge ahead." We simply have to wait until the day, with that queasy feeling of not knowing and not seeing and not being able to do anything about what will happen because it hasn't happened yet. So, while many of the "days of," this one quite included, might be horrible, the days before the days of might actually be worse. On the day of, we can see a little better and possibly plan to do a little more. On the day of, the time for nervous anticipation gives way to the time for determined action. On the day of, we stop standing paralyzed and attempt to move forward.

I can't yet say how I will feel on the day of. But I can say I will be glad when the day before the day of is behind us all.