Covington Mardi Gras parade. "Throw me something, mister!" These days are hard for me. Keeping hope alive is a daily challenge. New Orleans was an unexpected antidote. Our visit to NOLA was just what the mental health doctor ordered to brighten my spirits and restore my faith in our country's ability to stay together despite efforts of some at the top to divide us. What I saw and experienced at Mardi Gras lifted me and felt SO different from the overwhelming brink-of-civil-wa
