“Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”
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It’s a little after 6:00 am on the west coast, and I haven’t slept much tonight. I watched the election results in a living room with a few friends, and my eyes stung with tears as Obama made his victory speech. I have spent hours since then reading American and international commentary, staring at photos of Obama, his family, and people all over the world, and contemplating what this means.
I have found it difficult, sometimes, during the last couple years to deal with what I perceived to be the melodrama and unbelievable rhetoric — both positive and negative — surrounding American politics. By this I mean that it was hard to really believe in what anyone was saying or feeling, particularly given the circumstances which have defined my adult life. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I became cynical, as my nature, and my view of the world, is idealistic at heart, but it’s certainly fair to say that a great skepticism, and a great sense of irony grew within me, and almost everyone I knew within 2 or 3 years of my age.
Tonight, one of the fellows I was watching with showed up at the house with a bottle of wine shortly before or after the announcement (my memory is usually pretty good about timing details, but this is a bit of a blur). He said, I think after Obama’s speech, “I think I’m going to be more optimistic from now on.” A simple statement, but genuine, and perhaps even profound.
I think that it’s fair to say that there has been a shift in consciousness, at least for the time being. There will always be ups and downs, great stumbles backward and tentative steps forward again, but this, I think, is a bit of a leap, and an indication and confirmation to me that the overall trend is up, forward, that the arc of history is indeed long, but it does bend toward justice.
There has been a shift in consciousness. Let’s do everything we can, in our own lives, to create a shift in action.
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lopan
3:05 pm | Nov 05, 2008I too, am unusually giddy and upbeat. I’m optimistic. I’ve never been moved like this before. Canadian news has been all over this, and everytime they replay his “Yes we can” speech, my eyes well up.
If any of you Americans can get your hands on a NewYork Times paper for today — save it. Frame it and hang it on your wall. You will not want to forget this unbelievable moment in history.
howstrange
6:31 pm | Nov 05, 2008After the victory speech I turned the channel to cnn an you can see all the panelists were somber and watery eyed. It was truly a night to remember. I never thought I would ever feel such cynical free optimism, and as I was telling a friend of mine, the moment wasn’t so much about the rhetorical “change” we’re so familiar hearing of, but about a paradigm shift, an evolution and hope for this country and world.
Senkeh
7:43 pm | Nov 05, 2008Unbelievable.
nskripchun
11:02 pm | Nov 05, 2008Now… the real work begins. Let us all do our part!
missjosephine
4:32 pm | Nov 06, 2008i was watching jon stewart’s “Daily Show” last night, and he made the funniest (yet very true) comment. he said (paraphrased) ‘the strangest phenomenon is happening in new york today. eye contact. people are actually looking each other in the eyes….and smiling. it’s a big change and i don’t care too much for it….i’m almost afraid someone’s going to invite me over for pie.”
he was speaking in reference to the newfound hope and optimism people are finding after the election, and though it was meant as a joke, i absolutely noticed the change on the streets.
being a transplant in new york, i’ve noticed the tenseness and strong aversion to eye contact and connection which has become routine for me for the past three years, but i felt (and saw) a lightening up after the election. i would accidentally bump into a stranger (a few times already since yesterday, i’m a klutz) and we’d laugh, look each other in the eyes, smile, and say sorry. so many other incidents as well, seeing strangers looking at each other with more curiousity and openness (which is in a sense, a more positive form of vulnerability) than i have seen in a long time in this city. maybe i only see this because this change has happened inside me and affected my perception. but it is such an amazing sight to see. it’s as if we have collectively begun to wake up, and are noticing that the people around us share similar hopes for the future.
missjosephine
4:35 pm | Nov 06, 2008also, on a side note… i was listening to a discussion on numerology, and heard a metaphysical author (colette baron-reid) say that the number 44 was the master healer number. this wasn’t in reference to the election, but i thought it so symbolic of obama’s role (so i hope) in history, as well as the fighting44s.
Dialectic
11:52 pm | Nov 06, 2008Thanks for sharing some of your feelings with us, mj! I wish I could’ve been in NY to see that; it sounds amazing!
Haha, as for 44, given the people I’ve met through this site, and the ideas we’ve shared, and now with Obama, it’s the greatest number in the world as far as I’m concerned =)
jaehwan
8:52 pm | Nov 08, 2008Congrats to Obama, America, and the world! He’s already getting started with the assembling of his team. It’s definitely an exciting time!