I woke up early today.... I couldn't sleep. It's already Tuesday morning in the "Land of the Morning Calm", South Korea. November 4th is here!
I've been waiting for this day for a long time. It has finally arrived.
LET THE PARTY BEGIN.
And yes, by "party", I mean more work. More calls. More GOTV. More visits with neighbors asking if they've voted. More calls to your family.
More tears, late tonight, when we see not just what Obama has done, but what we have done.
Then more hugs with friends and neighbors. More hope in our collective future. More reason to share pride in America with our children.
TONIGHT, we hear the acceptance speech!
Jump below to see the the video of my family voting from Korea.
I moved to Korea for the first time in 1995, teaching English at a university in Seoul. I met, fell in love with, and married a Korean teacher. We moved to the states in 2000.
My wife was five months pregnant in November 2000, and I remember watching the election results slowly coming in, slowly changing from a Gore victory to a probably Bush theft. I remember crying. Not so much because it looked like Bush would win. Rather, I remember the weight, realizing that the America to which I had brought my wife and soon my little son, was still so regressed. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. But I was. And depressed.
In November 2004 I was much more cynical. But still, I believed that the lies of Iraq were so obvious, and the sins of the stolen 2000 Florida election were so plain to see, that we would be able to correct the mistakes from the previous four years. I voted for Kerry, and even volunteered a little. But I was far from excited. Apparently many others were as well.
In the previous few years, I've served as the Executive Director for a wonderful, grassroots anti-war organization. I worked my hands and heart to the bone. It emboldened me. It helped me understand the great promise and potential of America. But it also embittered me. The change we need is so obvious. The right to bring forth that change was granted to us in our Founding documents. So many people care deeply about creating a more just and peaceful nation and world... and yet... that change has been so hard to bring forth.
My second son was born, with complications, a year ago. Earlier this year I carried him to the local emergency room, cradled in my arms. He had completely stopped breathing. The family went through a long month, but little Sage was/is a fighter.
My wife's business went under - part economy, part health complications, part business partner scam. A complete mess. We lost pretty much everything, including our house. However, we were much more fortunate than most going through foreclosure in that we had great job opportunities for us back in Korea.
And so it went. So we went.
It's been a long eight years for our family. Mixed in with many trials, we've also had immeasurable joy. And we are together. And now we're back in Korea, sharing that part of our family/history with our children. Life is good.
And because we're in Korea, our November 4th has already started. I'll be volunteering on the phones (Skype.com), doing my part this last day. I've been voting since 1988. Yet this is the first time I'm truly excited about voting for a candidate. This is the first time I've donated to a presidential candidate. Heck, I've even donated to about eight of our Orange to Blue candidates. This year, I'm ready for the party. Obama has deserved it. WE HAVE DESERVED IT.
And Wednesday morning, Korean time, my family will be watching the returns, waiting for that acceptance speech. We already have our chocolate cake prepared and the champagne chilling in the fridge.
Yes. We. Did.