February is quitting season. The gyms get quieter, the resolutions get shelved, and people tell themselves they’ll try again later. Later doesn’t come.
Discipline isn’t about moods or calendars. It’s about showing up when the novelty is gone. Civic life works the same way. Democracy doesn’t survive because people show up once every four years. It survives when citizens keep showing up, especially when the energy has worn off.
Anyone can start. Few finish. That’s where strength lives.