To the Journal editor:

Gloating can quickly lead to complacency leading to stagnation. Griping accomplishes nothing more than raising one’s cortisol level, which is harmful to one’s self and others.

The midterm elections came and went. Most of the results of that are in.

And whomever anyone of us voted for and was elected or not, our responsibility to uphold democracy remains.

We needn’t gloat or gripe. We need to do the work of citizens in a democracy.

Yes, work that is worth doing and yes, ongoing.

In the words remembered by Al McDonald a past engineer working in the U.S. space program,

“Always do the right thing for the right reason at the right time with the right people (and) you will have no reason for regrets for the rest of your life.” — The seven Rs.

Throughout history we have lost, when we threaten our diversity. We have lost; artists, educators and scholars. We have lost care providers who nurture our well being and service persons who give or protect us.

Every culture can look back some to hundreds and thousands of years and recognize what ‘good stock’ they came from but somewhere along the way their ancestors were viewed as backwards.

Much space has been given to historical/written history of colonists and conquerors lacking room for all who lived and were a part of the fabric of society.

We can all do better when we further remind ourselves: “Regret for things we did is tempered by time. But regret for things we didn’t do is inconsolable,” also spoken by Al McDonald.

In other words, reckoning with the past and moving on is a bridge toward a sustainable future.