Thoughts from Dale Steenbergen –
I learned a new word today: SNIRT. Perhaps those of you reading know exactly what SNIRT is, but I had no idea. It turns out that SNIRT is that combination of dirt and snow that hangs around through winter, as the beautiful white snow mixes with the wind eroded dirt from nearby fields. You think there are piles of dirt blown into dunes, but really, the purest snow has been stained by the surrounding landscape.
I think SNIRT resembles our politics. Our founding fathers – many who gave their fortunes, families, and even homes – sat down to write our governing documents with the hope and vision of a free republic and a beacon of freedom. They tried to envision any problem that might come up along the way, and while they did an exceptional job of creating our country, they just couldn’t quite foresee SNIRT.
You see, SNIRT is neither snow nor dirt, but rather purity discolored by the forced influence of another. Respectively, our political system was built on the purity of hope and faith; but, at times in history, has become SNIRT. Why would I say such a thing? It seems that from chambers of City Councils to the sacred halls of Congress, we are more divided than ever before.
As we near the turning of the calendar page, keep faith my friends. SNIRT may be prominent in the winter, but as life begins to show up next year, SNIRT will melt to make way for spring.
So, let it snow, let the winter winds blow, and keep in mind that what seems a dirty pile of SNIRT this winter is ultimately the green, green, grass of spring.
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