Give Thanks For: The Journey

In closing this mini-series on giving thanks during this holiday season, I can't help but consider that we are a scant few months away from picking the Democratic Party's nominee for President of the United States of America. We are then not many more away from deciding our new course as a country for the next four to eight years, and hopefully reestablishing our country's founding principles that have been lost sight of at times over the last eight years. Locally, we are looking to solidify a Democratic resurgence across the state that we saw starting with Dallas in 2006 and that we hope to carry over into the Harris County and the state legislature. And, of course, all of us as politically active Democrats have the continuation our own personal journeys to look forward to, as we continue to take part in the fight to elect officials that will best represent everyday Texans across the state and nation.

"Life is a journey, not a destination," the great Steven Tyler tells us. But perhaps more fitting for politics is the earlier quote from Oliver Goldsmith, "Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accomodations." No doubt, the paths we meander across on our journey, both political and otherwise, can sometimes seem stark and inhospitable — particularly, it often seems, as a Texas Democrat. But, as Josh reminds us, politics matters, and so we travel them anyway, and we inevitably come out enriched in some way for having done so. And for that, I am thankful.

Myself, I did not picture my journey, political or otherwise, having a brief stopover in the world of Internet political communication. Personal grassroots involvement was all I knew, and if you'd told me a year ago (well, perhaps a year and a half) that I'd have the privilege of being part of an organization that would result in having my voice heard by a nationwide audience, interviewing DNC chairmen and presidential candidates, and having a direct effect on the current political conversation — well, I won't lie, I would've loved it, but I would've looked at you a bit incredulously.

But, as it turns out, I did get that opportunity, and I do love it. It's wonderful to feel like an active and valuable part of a vibrant political resurgence, and I can only thank my partners in this travail, Josh, Karl, and Curtis, and all of our loyal readers for following along with the rapid growth of The Texas Blue and giving us the opportunity to serve you by doing our best to provide reasoned, insightful looks into the modern political landscape state- and nationwide. Thank you so much for reading and for supporting our efforts. We couldn't do it without you.