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Monday, February 23, 2009

Flying remembering the feeling

I wrote this shortly after the election. I could not find where I posted it, so if this is a re-run I apologize. I just wanted to remind myself and others on how I felt after the election. Of how I still feel and of how I still hope. amazingly, I felt this same way when I was in DC amongst a bigger crowd than ever imagined in Mt. Pleasant, SC or even the entire state. I will cherish that feeling forever. This was my "I have a dream" moment.

I am in a cloud. I am shocked and amazed that this nation in a very public forum transcended race and allowed the system to work. This time there were no massive stories of dead people voting, voter fraud, and stolen elections. I am not saying that those things did not happen, but they did not command the front page of the newspaper this time. That is progress. This time people came together and voted as a nation. I arrived at the poll early so that I could get caught up in the excitement and anticipation. I saw the faces of people who were standing in line for hours to cast their votes. They were there because for the first time in a long time they felt the call to arms. They wanted change. At the polls we were careful not to discuss the candidate of our choice, but we were all talking about the potential for change. There was electricity in the air. I have never felt that before at the polls.

I would have had the last of the champagne for breakfast, but I had to go to work. I listened to my boss talk about how disappointed he was that his candidate did not win. I told him that I was dancing on my desk. I wasn't actually dancing, but really thought about it. I wanted to sing out loud that change was coming and that people better get ready. I don't sing, but it was tempting.

This election was the testament of many people of all colors fighting for human rights many years ago and now. It was the unified desire for change, for something other than status quo. I know that the president will not be able to go in and make sweeping changes. I understand that there are three branches of government that will ensure checks and balances. I know that in my head. But my heart is another matter. Today the world has changed for me. Today I can tell people to stop allowing other people to define them, label them, or bind them in chains. Today I have a leader that moved beyond the stereotypes, the name calling, and the other stuff to become the president-elect. What more can I ask for? What excuse do I have now not to contribute, not to strive to do more, to be more? What excuse do any of us have? We cannot be complacent. We cannot celebrate too long. If we do we will lose the lessons that are to be learned. We will lose the momentum that is needed to push until very person in this country regardless of race and gender knows that their future is bright.

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