How Does it Feel? A Journey

Before we get started, i just want to recommend that whatever system they use to vote in Washington State, Oregon and California needs to be adopted nationally. The polls closed at 11pm est and they were able to project the results at 11:02pm. Anysnooch...

All around me, I see people who see the election of Barack Obama as a transformative event in their lives and the life of the country. People stood in lines all over the country for newspapers to commemorate the event. Others wept openly at news of his election. As for me, I am very happy to see this day come and I am hopeful for the future because of it, but I just don't share this joy that everyone else seems to have.

Perhaps its because I am somewhat cynical (I know, shocking!). I have always felt like an outsider, observing the world while not necessarily feeling part of it, so events like these don't always have the same effect on me. I tend to reserve a (rather) large piece of myself that observes with an unemotional detachment. Its why I was unmoved initially by the Obama candidacy and supported Hillary Clinton. At that time, it seemed to me that Obama's appeal was based in high-minded rhetoric and emotion. Once I was able to see his policy positions and how his rhetoric infused those positions, I became a supporter.

My cynical nature also comes out when I see people talking about how life changing this event is personally. Really? It is certainly a VERY VERY positive change in American life because it reaffirms the premises of this country. For children and teenagers, they can dream a dream that they may have thought was realistically impossible even the day before. For adults, it may open a world of possibilities as leaders in their local community or nationally. They will be inspired by the story of a man who rose from modest means, without the help of wealth, family name, or even a father, to become President of the United States. Even for me, I used to dream that I could one day be a US Senator, even the Majority Leader, a dream I dismissed as impossible once I accepted my gayness. A BLACK GAY senator? Yeah right! But now, I suddenly find myself dusting off that dream and examining it afresh.

Hmmm... maybe this election was a little more life changing than I thought.

Gotta go. Hopefully they still have the commemorative edition of the Washington Post for sale!