This is the Day that the Lord hath made

"This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
~ Psalm 118:24

I knew I would get emotional last night and I finally did. When I finally realised it wasn't a dream. It was a dream coming true. Still, maybe I expected more from myself emotionally. I saw plenty of other people crying. I was teary-eyed throughout Obama's acceptance speech in Chicago. It wasn't until this morning that I forgave myself for my less-than-over-the-top reaction. For I realised that I've been believing this shit all along. I was completely in the tank from the first time I ever heard him speak. For the past four years I've watched him, listened to him, believed in him. I have also learned from him. I've watched him exude a dauntless spirit in the face of adversity. And at times when things would look the blackest (no pun intended), when I was exposing, with the help of the FactChecker and Snopes, the lies upon lies sent with the viral vileness with which they were intended from many of those most dear to me. When Barack Obama said "I can take four more weeks of this but the American people can't take four more years of Bush policies." I was breathed fresh life giving air. I was uplifted. I know I gained strength from him. I hope he gained strength from us.

Frankly, after the Democratic Convention I was completely fired up. And when McCain chose then unknown Palin, I thought he'd conceded right then and there and yet I thought I sounded arrogant to say that out loud. But really, what was he thinking? That was a very careless and dangerous decision. And she may have brought out the worst in his supporters. I thought McCain was gracious in his concession speech last night. I still believe many of his supporters are cretins. And they are probably proud of the fact that I do. The death rattle of an ugly beast can be a terrible thing to witness.

I have believed in this possibility for all of my life. From the time I was six years old and my mother, my little brother and I had to be escorted by police out of our home in the middle of the night when the riots from DC in '68 spilled into my neighborhood in Alexandria. My mother was naturally afraid being a white woman home alone with two children. I was more afraid of having to leave our dog Freckles behind. I grew up keenly aware of the racial divides all around me. But I always believed we could rise above it. And last night I believe I watched that happen. So I felt more of a sigh of relief than anything else. Believe me the tears have been shed for many years. Last night I saw my brothers and sisters come together. Young, old, black, white, brown. Rich and poor and middle class. Men and women. All coming together for a common purpose to become a voice for CHANGE. Now.

Today I feel quietly grateful. I will revel but I will not gloat. For there is much work to be done still. But what a glorious day it is.


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Early on when I started this blog I said it would not be a political rant because there already were plenty of those. But ever since Barack Obama announced his candidacy, I have been exercising my right to free speech about it. Because if there is anything that this blog is it is a record of my passions. And I became passionate about this candidate, this election, this country. I was not a Hillary convert and I was never undecided. I was one of a million when I made my first donation as one of the first million to do so. Today I am one of millions. Tomorrow I will (probably) go back to music and poetry posts and the like. Or not. What's more capricious than a hummingbird?