So we have a new leader of the free world. It is not the one most people were expecting nor many people were hoping for. As a professional psephologist, I steer clear of the imperative to predict winners and losers in these races; I simply don't have the requisite access to the minds of voters as they mark their ballot papers.
At least, that's always been my stance on the predictive powers of polls. And let's face it, there have been enough 'surprises' in recent elections and referenda that none of us really should be pretending we know. Educated guesses are just that really, guesses.
So today was always going to be interesting; a three hour lecture in the early morning just as the results would be starting to come in. This part of the job I really do like: sharing with students history as it unfolds before our eyes...and it did.
Meanwhile, the light and shade outside the office kind of reflected the motions of the day: starting out bright and hopeful, meandering through the day, finishing up a little bit dark...
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| It started out cold, and bleak, and with a few rays of sunshine |
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| ...sun which started to break through |
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| Building up a head of steam |
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| Approaching from both directions |
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| Is this the only place to go? |
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| At the point of victory...the ship sailed in |
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| Left with little else but to think about things |
Professionally, I have to wake up tomorrow and start to work out what this means for this part of the world; personally, while I accept the decision, I am allowed to be a little disappointed in the outcome. Even more so it renews my resolve to keep on at my work, trying to work to ways to better engage us all in this really quite important process.
I may be a while.
[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 7.43am-8.18am, 12.08pm, 2.13pm, 4.22pm-4.23pm; 9 November 2016]
