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| Image credit: Photo by Anthony Cain on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons |
I'm glad the election here is over. I'm feeling a bit wiped out today. (Note to self: elections are exhausting, even when all you're doing is voting. This must be why the inauguration isn't until January; it makes for more effective government. If I were Obama, I'd have to sleep for the next 75 days straight, which is yet another reason I don't get to be president.)
Marla asked how voting went, and while it was not without incident, it went smoothly overall and both kids did get to (sort of) see me cast my vote for president. We arrived at our designated polling place (armed with snacks and a Nintendo DS) to find there was (thankfully) no line. However, a data entry error with my registration took some time to sort out and caused a line to back up behind me. In the meantime, the polling place was brimming with triggers for Austen, who was apprehensive about the new people, the voting equipment and the paperwork. (Buttons, with their potential to cause noises or sudden movements, have always been fraught with danger, and he has particular quirks about handwriting and letter formation that make it difficult to write or sign anything without causing him distress.) This led to me become frazzled enough to play my Nintendo DS trump card to buy some less interrupted negotiation time with the poll workers.
We managed to figure out what had gone wrong, and with ballot finally in hand, I headed to a polling booth, where I held Janie up so that she could see me cast my votes. Austen watched for a moment, then sat on the floor under a table, knees pulled tight to his chest, playing his DS and waiting. I handed my ballot back to a poll worker who gave us each and "I Voted" sticker, to the delight of the kids, who proudly smacked the stickers on their chests and the poll workers, who thought the kids were terribly cute.
As we drove home, the kids wanted to know who won and were disappointed to learn that we would have to wait for the polls to close around the country and the votes to be counted to find out. That evening, when the polls started to close, I pulled up a live electoral map on my computer and my kids excitedly watched as a few states turned red and blue, cheering when their chosen colors appeared. But they were off to bed well before the winner was announced. I stayed up, hunched in the dark living room to watch the concession and acceptance speeches and cried during both.
Today, after school, Janie said, "Some kids in my class said Obama won." And I said, "Yes, he did."
I love my new president!!
woo hoooooo
I love your new president!! This is the first time in my life that I've contemplated flexing the 'one of my parents was born a US citizen' card. I'm so happy for you guys and for the world. Congratulations!
It isn't often I feel this emotion of pride (well, in situations not involving my son. I'm proud of him every minute.) But I felt this and so many amazing emotions last night. Thank the stars.
Just when I think I'm done crying, i start anew. I'm so happy. Even my Republican mother-in-law's bitter, snarky, passive-aggressive string of emails today don't take away from this feeling of joy. THAT'S progress, people!!
And, I'm not surprised the poll workers thought your kids were terribly cute. Cute is a non-partisan achievement.
Dear god I do not miss standing in line.
The rest of the country needs to get in line behind Oregon and go to mail-in ballots! It's so much easier to vote informed from your couch with huge packets of arguments for and against provided by the state and mailed to your home...
I cried as well. I never would have admitted to that two years ago. I cried a lot. It was great and I'm excited!
I cried during both speeches, too. Wish I could have been in Chicago, cheering with everyone, or in front of the White House.
It feels good not to be holding my breath. I hope you are ok.
I thought that both speeches were good. My feeling of gratitude for the results is overwhelming. I think that we at last may be on the road to our recovery as a nation.
I'm happily relieved and a little exhausted. They both gave wonderful speeches.
The thing that got me was seeing the Obama and Biden families piling onto the stage after the speech. A wave of joy washed over me just to see that.
I'm feeling all sorts of emotions I haven't felt ever. Or at least since 1992, even though I thought I was irreparably jaded.
I am thrilled for America and the opportunity voters have given it for change!
I'm jubilant about our new president. I let the kids stay up through the voting and the speeches. It was a wonderful live civics lesson for them.
I cried during Obama's speech when he talked about his grandmother.
At the risk of a buzz kill (don't read the rest if you just want to be happy about Obama)....
Then I cried the next day when Prop 8 was passed in California. Different kind of tears. I am grieving.
Monday night, I attended an absolutely beautiful gay wedding. Now its legitimacy hangs in the balance.
Yes, America, discrimination is still alive here. We can elect an African American president, but we can't handle letting two people who want to commit their lives to each other marry just because they are the same gender.