Grey tree frogs were spurting, and toads were trilling. After a day full of thick stratus clouds, rain, and a high dew point, an opening above revealed the stars. I stood out in the yard with my notebook computer in one arm and my husband’s tethered air card in the other so that I could watch the Saint Paul speech live. (Picture Lady Liberty: her torch topped with a small antenna and illuminated with four blue dots, and her tablet, a computer.) The broadcast was, dare I say it, a rebirth for our nation.
I wish I could embrace my mother tonight. Her only grandchild, my nephew, who joined the Reserves last summer, is one step closer to having a Commander in Chief who will lead our soldiers responsibly.
I wish I could call my father tonight. Undoubtedly he’d be supporting John McCain, but I’m sure that he would agree that Barack Obama is a principled human being. Common ground.
I wish I could meet a man named Moses tonight. He is a relative of mine who lived in the 1800s. He was black. I’m white. We could enjoy this moment of unity together.
I looked up at Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper. I hoped that suffragists and civil rights marchers alike were sharing in our collective celebration. Riders, conductors, and supporters of the Underground Railroad – I longed to see their lamp light. A drop of water splashed on my computer screen. In the distance flashes of lightning were bursting like fireworks in a neighboring village on the Forth of July. The energy and spirit of those who made this moment possible were jubilant!
The world has not stopped spinning. Tomorrow is another day, but I recognize the Before and After of this momentous occasion. I look to my fellow Obama Fellows and supporters of the Obama campaign. Go out into your communities and listen, listen, LISTEN to your neighbors. Then tell them a story that will connect them to the bigger picture and Barack Obama’s candidacy.
For those who have not yet tasted freedom or justice or liberty, soon and very soon...