Not hating, Just stating…

FINALLY, I have my thoughts together so that I may complete this blog with the respect, reverence and dignity it deserves.

Last week, I spent HOURS on my feet for one Barack Obama.  Monday, I stood for hours in Manassas Park waiting for President Elect Obama to address the crowd. He was scheduled to be there at 9 PM and he did not arrive until almost 10:30 PM. We had gotten to the venue after 5 PM and when we left it was well after 11. That is 6 plus hours of standing in the COLD on a school night! I cannot describe the feeling in the air. Sharing my space with 80,000 people some of whom were ruder than others. But MOST of whom knew, in their hearts, they were a part of history. After what had to be the most PAINFUL liver performance I have ever had to suffer through and listening to the  Obama camps soundtrack AD NAUSEUM, President-Elect Obama took the stage. And he made me believe that he was not only going to win over Virginia, but also the world.

The next morning I woke up too late to try and drive to MD to vote in the morning from Manassas. I left work early and got to the polling place JUST in time to avoid having to stand in the rain BEFORE standing inside in line. I was disappointed to see so many black people showing out. And by that I mean this:

There was an older lady a few people ahead of me asking one of the volunteers how long she would have to stand in line. The volunteer informed her that if she didn’t want to stand, she could take a ticket and have a seat and they would call her into the polling place when a handicapped voting booth became available. She  told her that it was a courtesy to seniors and the disabled. It seems the older lady did not want to stand in line, she wanted to draaaag a chair around in the line with her so she could sit when she was ready to sit,  therefore, the volunteer offered her an alternative. But, as it turns out the older lady wasn’t disabled or really even OLD, she was just LAZY! She didn’t want to wait PERIOD, and for some reason she thought that because she was old & ornery she wouldn’t have to. When the volunteer informed her that the wait was LONGER to sit and wait than to stand in the line, she BALKED! Someone further up in the line let her up, but it DISAPPOINTED me that this woman, on the eve of such an important, life-changing event she was disagreeable, and LAZY!

Another lady walks up to the volunteer and asks what did you say about the seats and tickets. The volunteer says, POLITELY: “The seats and tickets are for seniors, are you a senior?” To which the lady replies in the SNIPPIEST of manners: “I LIVE in SO & SO community so you might as well SAY that.” Now mind you the volunteer was BEING polite, because I could tell the snippy lady had a mental disability, which I know the volunteer was THINKING, but who ASKS someone if they are handicapped? So the volunteer tells the lady the same thing…. you take a ticket, you have a seat, we call you when we call you but it may take longer than standing in line. The snippy lady rolls her eyes at the volunteer and says: “I’ll just stand in line then, shoooot!” ASTOUNDING… These people were trying to use their age & unspoken handicap to essentially “bust in line”. Stand there, feel the ENERGY, be part of history & have some PRIDE about yourself.

After 1.5 hours of snaking through the community center, I voted for Senators Obama and Biden! I looked at the summary TWICE, I reviewed my votes on the telecommunications tax and went back one more time just to make sure I voted for Obama/Biden then I went home to prepare for the historical evening. I went to a spot downtown that I have never had the desire to visit before, but because my  boyfriend wanted to go, I went. (Look @ me compromising) but not for long. The place was shoulder to shoulder with uppity, over dressed folks. Did you really wear those white(or are they silver)  stockings and brown boots to work, hun? Do you always wear a bow tie & 3-piece suit to the office, young man? Once I MUSCLED my way through the crowd, I found my boyfriend and told him I could NOT stay there. That compromise didn’t last long, huh? We go down to U Street and I am FINALLY able to sit DOWN! State by state, we cheer each time one goes to Obama. I look at the map on CNN & whisper to my boyfriend, “I think Virginia was blue.”Of course, he missed it. The polls close on the east coast and finally, after building the suspense. They call VA for Obama. Instantly people get on their cell phones & I cannot make a call out! They start blasting music through the club & I ask the beau if he is ready to leave. We walk to the corner of 14th & U and realize there is a PARTY going on! we cheer and cry & dance in the street for over an hour!

NO, your eyes doth not deceiveth thee, I took the NEXT step ot of the Dark ages & used my own video from  my own cellular phone. Ain’t you so proud?

Wednesday, I lazed around in the bed watching the news & FoxNews, MSNBC, CN, QVC, HGTV… I kiiid, I kid. I only watched the CREDIBLE news channels until about noon. I KIND of wished I had gone to work to look those McCainiacs in their crestfallen faces. But, after work, I realized I didn’t get a daggone PAPER! But my email group informed me they were REPRINTING and REDELIVERING them to local stores. I immediately went to STAND for Obama for the third day in a row! After 2 hours & NO paper, I find out that there will be commemorative editions sold the next morning. I went home!

Thursday morning, I get up before the sun to stand in line for an hour at 7-11. When the delivery man finally arrives, the RUDY at the counter begins to harass him about how many papers he has brought & makes him count them out. Meanwhile, the 4 others who stood in line with me wnat their commemorative editions also. I got out to the delivery truck and purchase two special editions for $1.50.

FINALLY, I get to have a seat… FINALLY satisfied that I witnessed history, I helped make history, and now I have a piece of history! The week was tiring, and wore on my patience, nerves and emotions, but I would not change it for the WORLD!

As the days go on, I become prouder and prouder of the decision I made in that voting booth. This man is the REAL American dream. He gives everyone hope. Hope that this country had lost. This fatherless child found success, love and faith in a country that had never really belonged to HIM. Whoopi Goldberg said last Wednesday that she felt she could finally put down her suitcase. For so long, so many Blacks in this country felt like foster children. SFar too often we were made to feel like guests in what was supposed to be our home, while the “biological children” had the run of the house there were still things we weren’t allowed to do and parts of the house we weren’t allowed in. Feeling like at ANY moment, social services would come take us away so we always kept our bags packed under the bed JUST in case we were taken away or had to RUN away. Sometimes being too scared to question the house rules or rock the boat because we were unsure what might happen. But finally, the papers are signed and we have a permanent home; OFFICALLY part of the family. But like any adoptive family, there are those members that still don’t want us around and slowly but surely they are finding they can no longer hide their TRUE feelings and are becoming the NEW talk of the family. Don’t worry, they will soon realize they are the NEW outsiders and their issues will NOT go undiscussed as before.

But I digress, President-Elect Barack H. Obama is FOCUSED on the things that REALLY matter in this country. The national economy and the way the world views the United States. I was AMAZED to find out that one of his FIRST orders of business, is to bring the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay to trial and shut that TRAVESTY of humanity DOWN! I couldn’t even remember the last time I thought about GitMo let alone the last time President Bush addressed it. And here Obama is making it one of his FIRST orders of business. I believe in him and a MAJORITY of the civically  responsible Americans do too. With the support of the nation and the world watching, I pray for him and this country as we combat and overcome centuries of inhumane and imperial policies, treatments and mindsets. Senator Obama has restored my faith in this country, this government and Black love! (I can only PRAY my relationship has that SPARK the Obamas have!)

YES WE CAN!

YES WE DID!

YES WE WILL! 

Trust me when I tell y’all this blog took ALOT out of me! and I didn’t even put alll my thoughts on here!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS