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The Good Work is done...and now the work begins...
Yesterday was a glorious glorious inspiring day.
It was exciting to feel like I was a part of Making Things Happen. And even more astounding to realize that I was physically walking through a piece of history with every step. How many people can say they knew they were IN HISTORY at the time of it's making? So much history is defined by how it was viewed looking back. It is so singularly amazing to be moving through history in real-time, if you will.
I was dancing when it happened. We have a show this weekend and couldn't just skip rehearsal. We tore ourselves away from our computers and television, and were all vibrating with excitement and completely distracted the entire time. We were running through our set a second time when all our phones started to ring and beep with text messages. We suspected we knew what it meant, but we couldn't stop and had to keep working. But as soon as the set was over, and we finished talking through it, we dashed to gather up our things and see the messages, and to jump up and down and hug each other and squeal.
I had 7 messages. One from Befu, who sent me a screenshot of "Obama wins election" notices. One from Chiara saying "YES WE DID!". ANd 5 from Chris wanting to know where we were because McCain had given his concession and Obama was going to be giving his victory speech.
We weren't there when the bar was crowded wall-to-wall, standing room only with people silent and riveted, and then cheering madly. I am sad I wasn't in that moment with them and with my husband.
Instead, I was dancing. Distracted, yes. But joyfully, among my sisters who I love so dearly. When Obama was elected, I was DANCING! How poetic is that? How perfect is that in and of itself...
We head to the bar and ordered drinks and food, and were buzzing with happiness. The whole room felt alive. In a way, the air felt alive to me. Breathing in the, dare I say it, HOPE. A sense of optimism I have not seen or felt in or around me in a long time. A shift in the ether, and it was delicious.
Chris and I left, and I turned to him, "So...what now?" And indeed...WHAT NOW?
This election is done, but the work is really ahead of us. I look forward to seeing how we gather ourselves up as a nation and do our best to, as Chris put it, "...untie the knot."
I so wanted to rush up to Capitol Hill and join in the madly joyful parade of people! I wanted to BE THERE, ya know? But instead, we went home, popped a bottle of champagne we have had forever, and Chris rubbed my feet while I got to finally watch the concession and victory speeches I had missed. We were impressed with McCain's lovely speech--a McCain of old we SHOULD have seen all along finally returned to the stage last night. We cried at Obama's speech, moved by his sincerity and pragmatic optimism. We toasted often. We pet puppies and watched a few other political bits and bobs, checked in with local election results, and by 2am we went to bed.
As one friend said, we went to bed in one America, and we are waking up in another. Dishes in this America still need to be done--things didn't clean themselves up overnight. Hrm...the laundry in this America still needs to be done, too. And I can't forget the vacuuming and dusting... I can clearly see the mess that was made is still all around me, but somehow, today at least, I feel more ready to tackle the pile of chores. I feel like it's going to get done, because...WE CAN! And it's great to know I am not alone in this beautiful, empowering belief...
It was exciting to feel like I was a part of Making Things Happen. And even more astounding to realize that I was physically walking through a piece of history with every step. How many people can say they knew they were IN HISTORY at the time of it's making? So much history is defined by how it was viewed looking back. It is so singularly amazing to be moving through history in real-time, if you will.
I was dancing when it happened. We have a show this weekend and couldn't just skip rehearsal. We tore ourselves away from our computers and television, and were all vibrating with excitement and completely distracted the entire time. We were running through our set a second time when all our phones started to ring and beep with text messages. We suspected we knew what it meant, but we couldn't stop and had to keep working. But as soon as the set was over, and we finished talking through it, we dashed to gather up our things and see the messages, and to jump up and down and hug each other and squeal.
I had 7 messages. One from Befu, who sent me a screenshot of "Obama wins election" notices. One from Chiara saying "YES WE DID!". ANd 5 from Chris wanting to know where we were because McCain had given his concession and Obama was going to be giving his victory speech.
We weren't there when the bar was crowded wall-to-wall, standing room only with people silent and riveted, and then cheering madly. I am sad I wasn't in that moment with them and with my husband.
Instead, I was dancing. Distracted, yes. But joyfully, among my sisters who I love so dearly. When Obama was elected, I was DANCING! How poetic is that? How perfect is that in and of itself...
We head to the bar and ordered drinks and food, and were buzzing with happiness. The whole room felt alive. In a way, the air felt alive to me. Breathing in the, dare I say it, HOPE. A sense of optimism I have not seen or felt in or around me in a long time. A shift in the ether, and it was delicious.
Chris and I left, and I turned to him, "So...what now?" And indeed...WHAT NOW?
This election is done, but the work is really ahead of us. I look forward to seeing how we gather ourselves up as a nation and do our best to, as Chris put it, "...untie the knot."
I so wanted to rush up to Capitol Hill and join in the madly joyful parade of people! I wanted to BE THERE, ya know? But instead, we went home, popped a bottle of champagne we have had forever, and Chris rubbed my feet while I got to finally watch the concession and victory speeches I had missed. We were impressed with McCain's lovely speech--a McCain of old we SHOULD have seen all along finally returned to the stage last night. We cried at Obama's speech, moved by his sincerity and pragmatic optimism. We toasted often. We pet puppies and watched a few other political bits and bobs, checked in with local election results, and by 2am we went to bed.
As one friend said, we went to bed in one America, and we are waking up in another. Dishes in this America still need to be done--things didn't clean themselves up overnight. Hrm...the laundry in this America still needs to be done, too. And I can't forget the vacuuming and dusting... I can clearly see the mess that was made is still all around me, but somehow, today at least, I feel more ready to tackle the pile of chores. I feel like it's going to get done, because...WE CAN! And it's great to know I am not alone in this beautiful, empowering belief...
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