Yes We Can
I had thought our country was lost to greed, to cynicism and to characterization as a nation made up of people and leaders who fit the mold of "the Ugly American." I didn't want to believe it, but I saw little evidence to the contrary.
I had thought that the lush, idealistic season in which I grew up - a season wherein it was not cool and not acceptable to hate, to categorize and despise, to disrespect people who were different from me - I thought that was a season past, and relegated to at best a footnote in some history book, if we were lucky.
Even though I love Virginia, my adopted home for the past 35 years, I have always felt disenfranchised here, where my neighbors set my political signs on fire or steal them or destroy my mailbox during election season. I had thought I was alone.
I was happily, blessedly wrong.
The NY Times struck a chord, an Amen, a Yes, with this reflection:
"And so it came to pass that on Nov. 4, 2008, shortly after 11 p.m. Eastern time, the American Civil War ended, as a black man won enough electoral votes to become president of the United States. A civil war that, in many ways, began at Bull Run, Virginia, on July 21, 1861, ended 147 years later via a ballot box in the very same state."
I was at an Obama rally in this very red state of Virginia, and I had never felt more at home here. When we started the rally with the Pledge of Allegiance, one word leapt in splashes from my eyes, "One nation, under God, INDIVISIBLE...". I looked around me as I stood shoulder to shoulder, and then sat knee to knee, with White, Black, Asian, old, young, and felt... united, and safe and happy together. I didn't know it was still possible. But, well-placed hope told us we could still be this for each other - yes we can.
What I like about Barack's declaration of "Yes We Can" is the word "We."
It's also what I like about the Lord's Prayer - that it begins with "Our."
We are not alone. We don't act alone. We are in this together. Nothing I do does not affect others. I am We. I could not be otherwise. We are in fact, One.
I do not imagine that the challenges ahead of us are easy. But, my heart is un-stuck now.
"... Out of many, we are one; while we breathe, we hope," Barack said. I can hope. I can admire the leader in the White House. I can trust again. That goes a long way to healing our country, and I'm so grateful for that.
The day after the election, I SANG, all day. I sang "Oh Happy Day / When Barack Won / Oh when he won / he brought a brand new day / Oh Happy Day...".
Here is more singing. We can hope. We can do better. Amen. Yes we can.
I had thought that the lush, idealistic season in which I grew up - a season wherein it was not cool and not acceptable to hate, to categorize and despise, to disrespect people who were different from me - I thought that was a season past, and relegated to at best a footnote in some history book, if we were lucky.
Even though I love Virginia, my adopted home for the past 35 years, I have always felt disenfranchised here, where my neighbors set my political signs on fire or steal them or destroy my mailbox during election season. I had thought I was alone.
I was happily, blessedly wrong.
The NY Times struck a chord, an Amen, a Yes, with this reflection:
"And so it came to pass that on Nov. 4, 2008, shortly after 11 p.m. Eastern time, the American Civil War ended, as a black man won enough electoral votes to become president of the United States. A civil war that, in many ways, began at Bull Run, Virginia, on July 21, 1861, ended 147 years later via a ballot box in the very same state."
I was at an Obama rally in this very red state of Virginia, and I had never felt more at home here. When we started the rally with the Pledge of Allegiance, one word leapt in splashes from my eyes, "One nation, under God, INDIVISIBLE...". I looked around me as I stood shoulder to shoulder, and then sat knee to knee, with White, Black, Asian, old, young, and felt... united, and safe and happy together. I didn't know it was still possible. But, well-placed hope told us we could still be this for each other - yes we can.
What I like about Barack's declaration of "Yes We Can" is the word "We."
It's also what I like about the Lord's Prayer - that it begins with "Our."
We are not alone. We don't act alone. We are in this together. Nothing I do does not affect others. I am We. I could not be otherwise. We are in fact, One.
I am inspired by our choice of a President. I am inspired by the way we chose him.
That millions engaged. That the change has not been full of fear and violence, but rather full of dancing and singing in the streets (and, in my case, also in the halls, meeting rooms and elevators).
I do not imagine that the challenges ahead of us are easy. But, my heart is un-stuck now.
"... Out of many, we are one; while we breathe, we hope," Barack said. I can hope. I can admire the leader in the White House. I can trust again. That goes a long way to healing our country, and I'm so grateful for that.
The day after the election, I SANG, all day. I sang "Oh Happy Day / When Barack Won / Oh when he won / he brought a brand new day / Oh Happy Day...".
Here is more singing. We can hope. We can do better. Amen. Yes we can.
Wonderful reflection....Teresa and I were at the rally too! She took some great pictures. We went on a get out the vote drive this past Monday. This has been an election full of "firsts". The first time I ever donated to a political campaign. The first time I ever went to a purely political rally. The first time to volunteer for a political candidate. The first, and this is the best one, the first time that my daughters were able to vote for the president of their country!!!
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Thanks for your election-reflection! Yes, it is a time for singing and rejoicing. I am so glad you are unstuck! For me, of this is a time of synthesis and fulfillment, as I have not seen such so many people engaged since Jack Kennedy called for the Peace Corps. Of course, this is even better, coming as it does after the assassinations of three iconic leaders, the Civil rights Movement, and subsequent years of national inertia and little hope on the part of citizens of making a difference. I wonder if, more than we realize, those years were a fallow time, when we were growing more than we knew into a people able to shake off our torpor and cynicism and respond to a moment in history when it hove into view.
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I teared up--I was so afraid of getting my hopes up like I did in 2004 and then having them dashed. It was such an incredible moment when they called the election for him.
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