I had an Alice in Wonderland moment tonight when I got in my car and drove 40 miles across town to attend a watch party with several other Obama supporters. I laughed when I passed the exit sign on I-35 for "Ponder" because that was exactly what I was doing. It seemed like a bizarro upside down moment for me to placing my election hopes in a democrat. If you had told me 8 years ago that this day would come I would have staged an intervention and had you checked into rehab for your crack habit.
I felt a little bit nervous going to this party because I worried that when I arrived I would find I was surrounded by a bunch of super liberals who would make me insane with extremist ranting. This turned out to be an ignorant fear on my part as I discovered was a house full of people just like me. Well maybe not just like me...I'm kind of nuts...but we shared many of the same sentiments and had many enlightened conversations.
When it became fairly evident that Obama was going to win I made the long trip back home so I could watch the two candidates give their speeches in private. I'm glad I did because I'm not going to lie, I cried after the Obama speech. I took just a little bit of time to bask in the history and joy of the moment. It was a moment filled with joy that so many people finally decided to participate in their democracy and a moment to appreciate that as a nation we have overcome our racial bias enough to elect a black president.
Now that the moment is out of the way, the real work begins. Obama may have won the election but let me make it clear that victory has not yet been had. Victory happens only if we do as he asked in his speech and take responsibility for each other and for our democracy. Victory only happens if people continue to turn out to vote in the next election and the next one and so on. Victory only happens if Barack Obama spends the next 4 years leading us in such a way that I don't regret casting my vote on his behalf.
I am looking forward to finding out how this story ends. Perhaps we will find that we made the wrong choice in the end, but people turned out to make a choice and that alone gives me great satisfaction. I wish the new president great success in his endeavors. May he have the wisdom, grace, compassion, and diplomacy of a true leader. But so help me democrat if you screw this up I will punish you with my ballot for the rest of my days!
Onward and upward!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
It Does a Body Good
I'm not talking about milk either. Blech. I hate milk. I'm talking about *SURPRISE!* voting. :)
Rick had to vote early as he will be heading back to Houston on Monday so after changing my mind several times I finally decided that it would be ok if I voted early. I put on my VOTE (Declare Yourself) t-shirt and I went along with him. I felt guilty driving to the polling place on a Friday, as if I were committing some cardinal sin, but once we pulled into our parking spot and took our place in line I was so excited that I couldn't even stand still. "It's like Christmas!" I told Rick in a whispered yell. "Calm down", he said. "Oh I can't", I said. The woman two people behind us laughed out loud. For twenty minutes I wiggled and twitched with nervous excitement until finally it was my turn.
And then...in a matter of about three minutes it was all over. In that time I did manage to vote for someone from every availble party on the ballot. I even voted for a libertarian. But it all happened so fast! Standing outside waiting for Rick to finish up I turned to the door guy and announced "that was anti-climactic!", I hoped for some kind of reassurance but he just shrugged at me. Leaving city hall and driving to wal-mart I felt bad that I hadn't waited for Tuesday but after about 2 minutes of pouting my excitement was renewed when I imagined watching CNN until the wee hours of the morning on the coming Tuesday/Wednesday and everything was better. I do sort of feel like I opened my best present four days before Christmas but that frequently happens around here anyway so I guess it isn't that big of a departure.
You're probably thinking I'm silly but I think everyone should feel just a little bit excited when they cast their ballot. It's the same kind of nervous and excited feeling you get before a big game, or accepting an award, or taking the stage for a big performance, or when you are about to realize an important goal. It's one moment when you get to have your say and no one else can tell you what to do. It's one moment when you are truly free.
If you haven't voted already I hope you will, and I hope you will do it with a little excitement in your heart. Happy election season everyone!
Rick had to vote early as he will be heading back to Houston on Monday so after changing my mind several times I finally decided that it would be ok if I voted early. I put on my VOTE (Declare Yourself) t-shirt and I went along with him. I felt guilty driving to the polling place on a Friday, as if I were committing some cardinal sin, but once we pulled into our parking spot and took our place in line I was so excited that I couldn't even stand still. "It's like Christmas!" I told Rick in a whispered yell. "Calm down", he said. "Oh I can't", I said. The woman two people behind us laughed out loud. For twenty minutes I wiggled and twitched with nervous excitement until finally it was my turn.
And then...in a matter of about three minutes it was all over. In that time I did manage to vote for someone from every availble party on the ballot. I even voted for a libertarian. But it all happened so fast! Standing outside waiting for Rick to finish up I turned to the door guy and announced "that was anti-climactic!", I hoped for some kind of reassurance but he just shrugged at me. Leaving city hall and driving to wal-mart I felt bad that I hadn't waited for Tuesday but after about 2 minutes of pouting my excitement was renewed when I imagined watching CNN until the wee hours of the morning on the coming Tuesday/Wednesday and everything was better. I do sort of feel like I opened my best present four days before Christmas but that frequently happens around here anyway so I guess it isn't that big of a departure.
You're probably thinking I'm silly but I think everyone should feel just a little bit excited when they cast their ballot. It's the same kind of nervous and excited feeling you get before a big game, or accepting an award, or taking the stage for a big performance, or when you are about to realize an important goal. It's one moment when you get to have your say and no one else can tell you what to do. It's one moment when you are truly free.
If you haven't voted already I hope you will, and I hope you will do it with a little excitement in your heart. Happy election season everyone!
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