Tuesday, November 04, 2008

We Win

I'm hearing yelling on the streets, and fireworks explode on the river here in Brooklyn as the real John McCain finally makes a reappearance with his gracious concession speech, and Jesse Jackson stands alone with tears in his eyes (can't someone give a brother a hug?). I'm welling up, seeing and feeling something I never thought possible. Putting the race part aside for a moment, I can't believe that my country did the right thing, at long last by electing the right man; Americans took a risk on what might be, and acted on the belief that things can be better, rather than 'more of the same.'

I can't shake my head any more, easily dismissing our leaders as someone else's fault, as people I can't relate to, or as some out-of-touch old insiders put in power by someone else's vote. I've never actually liked any of our Presidents my entire life; or ever felt that the best minds of my generation were leading; or even believed that things could be any different.

This time, at least for tonight, I do. It's overwhelming. Indescribable. All I can think, is, please carry us all safely on our new path.

Dare I say it, and really mean it for the first time ever? God Bless America.

4 comments:

burn66 said...

Right on, sister! I can actually say 'God Bless America' and not mean it as a joke. First, I feel proud of my country for the first time; and second, I feel like Barack gives me hope that there actually might be a god!!! How's that for crazy?

SKL said...

Not crazy. It's a nice place to be for once. I know everyone's now got to talk about he's not all THAT, and how much he has to do, and how hard it's going to be and we will be disappointed and blahblahblah. I know all of this, but can we just enjoy it for a SECOND?? Thank you.

burn66 said...

I wish I were there to enjoy it for real... the Brits are happy, but only those old enough to remember Thatcher (ie 10% of the people I work with) can imagine the relief that intelligent Americans feel -- and on top of that, the pride we feel in having elected someone of mixed race and ethnicity -- in other words a true American -- achieving the ultimate American dream. The Brits may be right on -- but I think we Americans take the cake now.

SKL said...

I don't think anyone could crystalize the American Dream any better. And I'm so glad it didn't slip away from us, and the rest of the world, entirely.