I don’t live in a fantasy world. There are some areas of this country where things are not right and in most of the areas the faces and color resemble my own. It’s been hard the last few years to maintain that optimism. You turn on the news or pick up the paper and see story after story of the worst of your community. You start getting beat down by it and think that things are never going to change. That's why I never really jumped on the bandwagon.
As I walked out of my house this morning and saw my half abandoned flood damaged neighborhood and drove to work this morning passing the familiar areas of trouble I knew the circumstances were still there even after the first African American president was elected. There is lots of work to do. That kind of ignorance and pain isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Yesterday morning I got up and stood in line for more than an hour with all kinds of people in my community from different backgrounds. They all had a look in their eyes like they were about to experience something special. I stood in line in front of three guys who on any other day would scare people by the way they look. They were actually making space for the old ladies on the walkers to get through and fussing at one another for cussing in line in front of all the people. There was the family there and I watched a mother and father coach their teenage sons who were voting for the first time on how the voting machines work. That was the first moment I realized that it didn’t matter if Obama won. As far as I am concerned he had already delivered for me what I needed. I needed to know that there is still a possibility that these brothers and sisters out here that are doing things in the wrong manner can be motivated to try and do the right thing. I needed to see that in the voting line yesterday. I’m glad the final payoff happened too.
Barak Obama won’t be sworn in until January. There are some local issues that I am not too happy about that were on the ballot yesterday. I am sure somewhere in the country today there are some pissed off people. There is also much real work to be done. We can discuss all that later. I don’t feel like debating and listening to all of that. I just want to soak up that hope I got yesterday. I need as much possible for the grind that’s ahead of us. Enough dues were paid by a whole bunch of people to enjoy this one for a few days. I want to experience what endless possibility feels like without people jamming my thoughts.
2 comments:
"There was the family there and I watched a mother and father coach their teenage sons who were voting for the first time on how the voting machines work. That was the first moment I realized that it didn’t matter if Obama won. As far as I am concerned he had already delivered for me what I needed. I needed to know that there is still a possibility that these brothers and sisters out here that are doing things in the wrong manner can be motivated to try and do the right thing. I needed to see that in the voting line yesterday. I’m glad the final payoff happened too."
Is that hitting the nail right on the head. There are so many reports of the young 'uns coming out to vote. There IS more than one way to effect change, and I'm very happy the kids all over are getting that message.
America is turning a corner....finally after eight years of ineptitude. We now have
a true leader who has already begun to unite us once again.
I can't stop smiling.
Had to go to bed early last night so I've got the text of his victory speech. It's awesome.
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