Sunday, November 09, 2008
Reconciling History
It has now been 5 days since my dream came true.
OK, one of my dreams. The one where I win the lottery is still out there waiting to be granted.
Barack Obama was elected President. The people of the United States of America considered two men for the most important job in the land and a majority of them voted for Barack Obama.
I'm just trying to let that sink in.
It's not that I haven't trusted the majority of Americans to think along the same political lines as I do (OK, I'm a left-wing nut job with a strong fiscal conservative streak...so that's a stretch), but I've been just a bit disappointed that the American electorate has given the job to George W. Bush for the last two elections.
As much as I've not enjoyed the leadership of the past 8 years, I can understand why Bush was elected. Well, I can justify why they voted for him. I believe the American electorate will vote for the man or woman who seems to know how not to look stupid while running for office. The last two Democrats running before Mr. Obama had a real problem with that little aspect of political life.
But on top of it all, as about the whole world knows, Obama is a mixed race African-American. Up until now, no matter how much I really tried to imagine that this country could or would elect a black man to the office, I just couldn't work through it.
In some ways, it's funny. My best friend for the last (darn close to) 30 years is a black man. I have always been almost lucky enough to consider myself ahead of the curve when it comes to race. I just don't really consider a person's skin pigmentation when I meet them. So you'd think that I'd have no trouble with this idea of Barack Obama being elected President.
I've poured so much of myself into this election. I'm not anywhere near the most active volunteer for the campaign in this zip code, but I know that I did my part and worked for what I believed in (a trait my grandfather and father both bored into me). Move than anything else, I wanted to make sure this country considered this candidate's words and made a decision based on what they felt was best for the country, no matter his color or upbringing.
On that point, the American people did just that.
Then, at 11pm EST on November 4th, 2008, Charlie Gibson (who I was watching) announced that which I already had seen coming to pass, that America had elected Barack Obama, junior Senator from Illinois, to the highest office in the land. And I cried. My being was filled with joy, with wonderment, and with complete and utter shock.
I'm still in shock. Happy, satisfied, amazed shock.
I have no idea how to really feel. I have been a participant, in a small little way, in the making of American and world history. I have seen my country, this land that I have blessed to be born into, overcome one of its greatest sins and become the beacon of hope and opportunity it had been in the past but had forgotten at some point.
I have tried to come up with a way to reconcile my knowledge of history with my experience of this country. I have failed to make it all completely real in my own mind.
It is as if I will suddenly wake up from an amazing dream and reality will kick me in the teeth again. If that were true it would really suck, because I just never remember my dreams.
But today, as I watched the Sunday morning blab-fests, it became real. There I was, listening to every political pundit known to mankind explain, rationalize and prognosticate about the Obama administration, and it became crystal clear.
It wasn't a dream, it is reality. Everything became obvious. We had left the world of hoping and suddenly arrived at the depot called acceptance. All these people were there just trying to fit themselves into the political world which was now evident.
It is now reconciled. History has been written. The page is turned again. We must start writing the next chapter.
The grand experiment that is America has just cooked up an honored moment. A man was elected regardless of his skin color. I could be prouder, but I don't know how.
OK, one of my dreams. The one where I win the lottery is still out there waiting to be granted.
Barack Obama was elected President. The people of the United States of America considered two men for the most important job in the land and a majority of them voted for Barack Obama.
I'm just trying to let that sink in.
It's not that I haven't trusted the majority of Americans to think along the same political lines as I do (OK, I'm a left-wing nut job with a strong fiscal conservative streak...so that's a stretch), but I've been just a bit disappointed that the American electorate has given the job to George W. Bush for the last two elections.
As much as I've not enjoyed the leadership of the past 8 years, I can understand why Bush was elected. Well, I can justify why they voted for him. I believe the American electorate will vote for the man or woman who seems to know how not to look stupid while running for office. The last two Democrats running before Mr. Obama had a real problem with that little aspect of political life.
But on top of it all, as about the whole world knows, Obama is a mixed race African-American. Up until now, no matter how much I really tried to imagine that this country could or would elect a black man to the office, I just couldn't work through it.
In some ways, it's funny. My best friend for the last (darn close to) 30 years is a black man. I have always been almost lucky enough to consider myself ahead of the curve when it comes to race. I just don't really consider a person's skin pigmentation when I meet them. So you'd think that I'd have no trouble with this idea of Barack Obama being elected President.
I've poured so much of myself into this election. I'm not anywhere near the most active volunteer for the campaign in this zip code, but I know that I did my part and worked for what I believed in (a trait my grandfather and father both bored into me). Move than anything else, I wanted to make sure this country considered this candidate's words and made a decision based on what they felt was best for the country, no matter his color or upbringing.
On that point, the American people did just that.
Then, at 11pm EST on November 4th, 2008, Charlie Gibson (who I was watching) announced that which I already had seen coming to pass, that America had elected Barack Obama, junior Senator from Illinois, to the highest office in the land. And I cried. My being was filled with joy, with wonderment, and with complete and utter shock.
I'm still in shock. Happy, satisfied, amazed shock.
I have no idea how to really feel. I have been a participant, in a small little way, in the making of American and world history. I have seen my country, this land that I have blessed to be born into, overcome one of its greatest sins and become the beacon of hope and opportunity it had been in the past but had forgotten at some point.
I have tried to come up with a way to reconcile my knowledge of history with my experience of this country. I have failed to make it all completely real in my own mind.
It is as if I will suddenly wake up from an amazing dream and reality will kick me in the teeth again. If that were true it would really suck, because I just never remember my dreams.
But today, as I watched the Sunday morning blab-fests, it became real. There I was, listening to every political pundit known to mankind explain, rationalize and prognosticate about the Obama administration, and it became crystal clear.
It wasn't a dream, it is reality. Everything became obvious. We had left the world of hoping and suddenly arrived at the depot called acceptance. All these people were there just trying to fit themselves into the political world which was now evident.
It is now reconciled. History has been written. The page is turned again. We must start writing the next chapter.
The grand experiment that is America has just cooked up an honored moment. A man was elected regardless of his skin color. I could be prouder, but I don't know how.
