By Glen Birbeck --- The Buzz For a long time the idea of an ID card requirement for US citizens was toxic. Other countries, none as free as ours, have them, but not here. We do have drivers licenses. Driving is a right, not a privilege, I am told. But driving requires...

The invisible editor called me into his office on the top floor of the Buzz building. The view was incredible . “What do you see down there? ” he asked. “People, houses , ” I responded. “What else? ” he prompted. “Well, ” I began, “Trees , streets , cars , cats and dogs. ” I couldn’t actually see cats or dogs , but I assumed they were there.

“You see hope! ” he said firmly. “Hope” he repeated turning from the view to face me. “Hope” I echoed without much enthusiasm. I enjoy a metaphor as much as the next hack writer, but just what was he getting at? “All of that came from a seed, the people, the cats and dogs , the trees. ” “How about the houses and cars? ” I ask.

His metaphor didn’t waver, “The seed of an idea, ” he said. He reached down and from a silver tray and from the remains of his lunch he picked up an orange pip. He squeezed the seed between thumb and forefinger, holding it up to make the point. “How, ” I pressed him, “is a seed hope? ” He responded saying, “Because it embodies hope in function and design – Nothing in it imagines failure. The acorn knows it will one day be a mighty oak and dominate the forest. ” He saw my interest flag, my lunch making me drowsy. “Here is the point, ” he said pressing the orange pip into my palm.