The
Illuminations Tours were as much fun as ever this year, even though a
couple of the standout homes from past years were temporarily off line.
We were sold out again, thanks to the hard work of the Arts Council
(and the staff of the Blue Cloud Gallery in Ball Square). And, as in
past years, I had great support on my trolley from friends, family and
fellow residents.

But the Illuminations Tour is more than just
something fun to do during the holiday season. It reminds all of us of
the importance of community spirit, and of the rich traditions that
give our city its character and help bind us together – even when, as
in the case of the Illuminations Tour, the tradition is only twelve
years old.

As part of the tour, every guide issues an invitation
to attend the raising of the Grand Union Flag on Prospect Hill, which
begins on New Year's Day with a procession from City Hall (11:30 a.m.)
and culminates at noon with the raising of a replica of the first
official American flag (presented by "General Washington" on horseback)
at the monument in Prospect Hill Park.

Of course, the
flag-raising is a much, much older tradition than the Illuminations
Tour, and it means a lot to me – not just because I grew up on Prospect
Hill, and not just because it's a reminder of Somerville's
revolutionary heritage. For me, the most important aspect of our annual
flag-raising event is that it celebrates the vision, optimism and
courage of the very real people who created this nation. The soldiers
who camped out in the cold and damp on Prospect Hill had, only months
before, suffered a defeat at the hands of the British – but their
ragtag army, commanded largely by elected officers, had fought so hard
and well that the British were unwilling to come out to challenge them
again. General Washington, newly in command, was trying to figure out
how to conduct a siege with no equipment, no supplies and an untrained
army that was suffering from disease and malnutrition as well as the
cold. Down in Philadelphia, members of the Continental Congress were
struggling with the moral and practical difficulties of making a
revolution against a duly constituted authority leadership – and trying
to decide whether to put their lives, their fortunes and their sacred
honor on the line to create a new nation.

It was a time of
hardship and uncertainty, and the odds were not in favor of the
colonials or their cause. But, to the great surprise of the British and
the rest of the watching world – and maybe themselves – they acted.
They had confidence that they could prevail – that they could get
through the hard times and build something better.

They decided
to start something new – and their simple, courageous choice in the
face of great peril led to the creation of a new nation, a new concept
of human rights, and a new world of possibilities for themselves and
for generations to come.

We know that their creation was far
from perfect – and that it remains imperfect to this day – but that
does not in any way diminish their achievement.

233 years later,
we are still working to fulfill their vision. We are still making new
beginnings, even when the times are hard and the odds may not be in our
favor.

But one of the most basic and most powerful lessons that
our patriot forebearers have passed down to us is that we must never be
content simply to accept things as they are. We must always be working
to make things better – even when it isn't easy or safe.

As 2008
draws to a close, we find our city, our state and our nation in another
era of uncertainty and peril. Our soldiers are still camped out on
hillsides – farther from home than our ancestors could ever have
imagined. Times are hard and the challenges are huge.

Yet we are
still ready and willing to make a new beginning, and we still possess
an unstoppable optimism. We firmly believe that we can not only get
through our current troubles, but actually make things better for
ourselves and our children.

In Somerville, our traditions give
us strength, but we don't live in the past. We have it in our power to
make 2009 a better year for ourselves and our neighbors.

Let's get started.