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!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Extremely well said.
I enjoyed McCain's speech tonight and I honestly did feel sorry for him. Obama's speech was moving. I cried. I was touched by the walk down memory lane.
Yeah...I cried too.....
;}
Obama's speech reminded me why I voted for him. Exactly what an acceptance speech should be.
I agree with your sentiments that it was good so many people got out and voted. That's the one thing that has made me question people.
"take responsibility for each other and for our democracy"
I do question this though. What happened to taking responsibility for yourself?
I'd love to see another post. So I awarded you the Honest Crap Award. See my latest blog entry to pick it up and learn what to do.
Post a Comment