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Wow, I've just realized its been over a month since I posted anything on this blog. I'm officially failing at this blog thing. I will hence forth try much harder to give my avid readers (mom) more skinny on what's the lo-down in Chi-town. Oh I'm so hip.
So as everyone knows, the big news around here is about this nobody black guy from south side becoming only the friggin' next president of the UNITED STATES!!! WHOOOO!! Yeah, so I didn't make it to the Grant Park celebration because about 150,000 people got tickets before I could but I did wander around downtown that night after watching his historic speech on tv and frankly the only way I can explain the silence is: otherworldly. I haven't lived in Chicago very long, but I go downtown almost every day and my consensus so far is that this city is juiced 24 hrs a day. Mornings can be a little slow, but there are people out at all times in all places. But Tues night, either everyone in Chicago was at Grant Park witnessing history in person or they were in their home watching it on tv because the streets were dead empty. And if it hadn't been for the 15 cops posted for every street corner downtown, it would have made for a pretty sweet time to turn over some cars and torch some skyscrapers. And luckily the cops were everywhere because the celebrations went without incident. NO ARRESTS. I find that almost impossible to believe, but apparently everyone had eaten too many hope cupcakes to want to riot, loot, or vandalize.
The next morning was even more unsettling. People were just all so happy. but in a weird way. Like everyone was too giddy to not smirk at each other. It was like we were all in on the joke. Less cynical people say that they were still in shock over the election outcome, but I think people in shock generally tend to make much less eye contact. No, there was an air of "Woah, we just elected a black man as president and we're all still alive. The world is still spinning. Cool." People pushed less in line, young black kids held doors open for old white women, and baby deer came right up to you and ate out of your hand. It was so bizarre.
I will admit, I was a bit choked up watching Obama's acceptance speech. For sure it was a strange and poweful feeling, but I think it's one that many of us had. For so many of us, we really wanted, no, needed this election to go for Obama. If a man so charismatic, so intelligent and so different from anything we'd ever seen before was unable to convice America to vote for him and we instead opted for the cranky old white guy, then what hope was there for America? What hope was there that we could again become the great shining beacon of the world if we chose status quo? This election was not only an historical moment for obvious reasons, it was more importantly a repudiation of the currupt and truly criminal leadership that has for too long led the country to do terrible, horrible, and unforgivable things. The world would truly know how unrepentant and completely unworthy of their trust we were if we had failed to elect the man who stood for change, for inspiration, for thoughtfulness and instead chose McBush. If we had said "you know what, piss off world we're 'Maverics'. We do things our way" and voted for more of the same, then we would all indeed need to hang our heads low with shame. Thank God we're better than that.
And perhaps the most frustrating part of the election was that McCain himself was trying to run on a campaign of change. CHANGE! Really? People bought this line of BS? There are simply too many things to say about how incredibly upsetting his campaign was, so I wont, but I will say this: the McCain I liked and respected when he ran against Bush finally showed up again for his concession speech. The man I wouldn't have minded running for president dropped all the silly partisan pretense and disrobed the Republican shroud of intolerance and fear-mongering that transformed him from a truly individual and respectable man into the repugnant incompentant liar he needed to become to win over his party's base finally reintroduced himself to the American public only much too late. I was only too upset to think that this old man who had devoted so much of his life in service of his country had spent all his credibility on running such a horribly dirty campaign that was so contrary to his personal beliefs. His speech gave me hope that when he returns to the senate we'll see more of the good 'ol McCain we used to know.
The most important thing is this: we live in a new world. And not to hyperbolize too much, but we've never had a greater opportunity to prove to the world that America is really all she says she is. I am extremely hopeful for Obama because as Colin Powell said, "whether you voted for Obama or not, we have to take tremendous pride in the fact that we did this."
