Holy crap. Yes we DID.

[coffeesnob318]

OK. I didn't cry. Granted, I haven't watched the speech yet. The transcript made me a little blurry-eyed, but not close to what the speech itself will do to me I'm sure. But through all the kids' excitement in the lobby and the process of voting itself (always is touching to me - I'm a sap when it comes right down to it - it's really an honor to have a vote in this world), I didn't cry.

Until I came to livejournal.

Then I read all your posts - mostly blue but a few red - about your joy or disappointment. I found a few people, whom I love, who were disappointed but also mercifully kind in their disappointment, and I want to thank you for letting me and others on your list have our moment. I found mostly joy - ecstasy, really - for a candidate - no scratch that - PRESIDENT - that has managed to chip away at some of even the most cynical of hearts (i.e., mine). No two posts were the same. Some thoughts were expressed in poetry. Some in graphics. Some in ALL CAPS and lots of exclamation points (!!!). Some from overseas. One with a song that I will forever associate with this day. And one with a happy, dancing muppet.

And I lost it.

I am sitting at work weeping (which is becoming a disturbing trend), and the response of several of my residents is making it worse (better? I'm not sure which. It's all very confusing). They are concerned, until I look up and smile, and then they smile back. They know. I've already made two of them cry as well.

I always wait until Election Day to vote because I like the energy at the polls. The energy was not there this morning. I was really proud to take Maggie to vote, even though she voted differently than I did, because I love that we CAN vote. Then we had breakfast, and that was good, too.

I don't have a TV, but Michelle texted me when the results were announced to let me know. When I was coming to work, there was a truck driving up and down the road with people shouting in the back. In my neighborhood, that's usually a fight-or-flight sort of situation, but when I apparently looked scared, they said something like "Woo Obama," as well as some other things that were a little more...um...expressive, so I just waved back and did a little happy dance. When I got to the dorm, I found out that we had had a mob of people who ran through the building cheering and had been doing so all over campus to any building that would let them in. While my official position is "Shh! Quiet hours" and "Um...don't let a mob in the building," I have to admit that I was pretty damn happy to hear about it - happy that they woke people up who were sleeping through the election results and also to hear that no one got hurt and that we didn't have to call the police.

My hope is that President Obama will do well. That he will lead wisely. That he will remember who he is. That some of the more extreme interpretations of his policies will ignite real change that lands somewhere in the middle and will be good for as many as possible. Perhaps this hope is a little naive, but it's mine and I love it. I had forgotten what it was like to be optimistic about the country at all. The change has already begun in me, at least.

But you, my flist, were the icing on my cake. I love you. I don't say that enough.

Comments

[bubbles79.livejournal.com]

I always appreciate your thoughtful posts. I feel the same way about being excited that people are voting, even if they're voting differently than I am. It's the only way the system works! Although I was paranoid that McCain would win and Palin would ultimately be president, and some fearful part of me wanted to tie all the Republicans to a chair until the polls closed... Anyway, at the end of the day, I agree with you. I am so excited and so hopeful.

p.s. I love you too.

[pen-of-jen.livejournal.com]

how come your replies on other people's posts are always nice and flowery and on mine they're always: "you're a whore"?

ha ha ha ha ha... don't pretend to be nice to other people you uppity vegetarian whore. ;p

[bubbles79.livejournal.com]

Aww... I'ts nice to have a stalker. *kisses*

[pen-of-jen.livejournal.com]

pshhh... you wish i was stalking you. i'm stalking coffee.

[pen-of-jen.livejournal.com]

yeah... i don't cry and i sat in my car and cried for a good 20 minutes yesterday. so yeah...

i love you too. =D

[morelka.livejournal.com]

I've come across only the happy reactions and they've all made me smile. Yay! :)