I hopped out of bed with unusual gusto at 6:45 this morning, pulled on some clothes and strutted out of my house with the confidence that I would be in and out of the polls that were right across the street from my house within 15 minutes. I stepped outside (into the amazingly warm fall morning - someone upstairs loves an election day!) and saw the line to vote, 10 minutes before the polls opened, already stretched across the parking lot, probably close to 150 people strong. I gasped, knowing I would not know the waning warmth of my bed again till tonight with this nonsense, but also feeling an overwhelming sense of pride in my democracy and its participants... and a fuzzy sensation of - you guessed it - change. Coffee in hand, I stepped back into my apartment for a minute to compose myself. This election and all it brings with it has gotten me worked up into a grateful and weepy citizen on more than four occasions. Just thinking about how I think tonight is going to go thrills me beyond words. I just can't wait to get our reactions on videotape and show it to my kids and say, "Look! This is the day America became the loving, supportive, and awesome country it is today. And the day we voted the first Black person into the Presidential Office!" And they'll say, so what, Mom? We've had Blacks, Women, Native Americans, Everyone in office! And I'll say, you little punk! You don't get it! Eat your organic Wheat-Os.
Two minutes pass as I let a tear of joy fall, I step out into the street and take my place in line. An hour later, after getting away without having to show my ID (I still have a New York ID. Gah! But I did bring my utilities bill just in case), I left with my red sticker and walked past the rest of the eager voters who had doubled in mass.
I can't wait till tonight.
Posts
