Wind of Change

The past few weeks this song has been playing in my head. Tonight it wouldn't quit, so I had to go hunt down the video. Whenever I hear this song I immediately think of being a child and hearing about the fall of the Berlin Wall. Even though I was quite young at the time, I sensed it was an important event happening in the world around me.

I remember lying in the back of my parents car one night maybe a year later, watching the streetlights zip by in the darkness as we were headed home. The haunting whistling of this song filled my ears as I wondered what a wind of change would look like.

I think we all saw it last week, blowing through the US. Beautiful, wasn't it?

May it continue to blow and bring down the walls that the last 8 years have built between us and the rest of the world.



"The world is closing in, did you ever think
that we could be so close, like it brothers?
The future’s in the air, I can feel it everywhere
blowing with the wind of change.

Take me to the magic of the moment on a glory night,
where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change."

-Scorpions "Wind of Change"

Yes we can...and we DID!!!

I can't find the words to express how incredible this day has been, but I'm gonna try since I have 30 minutes to get this post in before midnight..;-P

No, you know what? I still can't find the words. I've erased everything I've typed for the past 15 minutes. It's still sinking in...and it will continue to in the days ahead.

We listened to coverage of the election on NPR.org and the BBC, while a friend of mine kept feeding me live updates from Katie Couric and I frantically watched maps and liveblogging on several sites. It was a busy day here for a few hours. The votes came in much faster than I thought they would...and then the polls officially closed on the West Coast and the networks officially called the election as a win for Obama and the airwaves erupted with cheering from all across the nation, and the world!

McCain gave a very gracious concession speech. It reminded me of the McCain I came to love in 2000, the man who I thought I'd vote for if given the chance...a stark contrast to the man we saw during the course of this campaign. I remember how much it hurt to listen to Kerry's concession speech in 2004, so I can imagine what McCain's supporters are feeling tonight. I applaud him for stopping the booing from the crowd when he mentioned Obama's name. I know his supporters are feeling defeated tonight, and I'm sorry they are feeling that way...I'm not insensitive to their pain, but quite frankly I think we've earned the right to rejoice today!!

Watching Obama's speech I was struck by the difference in the crowd's response when Obama mentioned McCain..instead of booing we heard cheering. I'm glad Obama said what he did about McCain. His speech was beautiful, I sat here crying, deeply touched and unbelievably proud of our nation. I'm so glad that he will be representing our nation to the nations of the world! Can you imagine what it must have been like to be there in Grant Park tonight? I have to admit I'm rather jealous...but it's okay, because no matter where we are, Obama supporters the world over are celebrating with as much enthusiasm as those attending his speech did!

Today is Guy Fawke's Day in New Zealand (and many other countries in the Commonwealth). As is tradition, once the sun went down the fireworks started to fill the sky! We were driving to pick up a friend for dinner who had a rough job interview today, and I couldn't help remarking that even though I knew the real reason for the fireworks, it felt like all of New Zealand was celebrating with us. And let me tell you people--they are. People all over the world are celebrating with us this day! We sat and ate dinner at Denny's of all places, and I couldn't help but wonder what Denny's all across the US were looking like right about now. Packed full of exhausted supporters, faces awash in the euphoric high of realising their actions really do matter.

I imagine this will sink in more as the days go by, but right now I still feel like I'm in a bit of a daze. Part of me can't believe it actually has happened, and yet part of me knew it would happen all along. Why? Because of those of us who had the audacity to hope, dream, work, donate, vote, and believe that in the end enough people would be inspired to do those same things...and change the world.

That's right people....today, each voice, one by one brought change to our nation. Bask in it today...soak it all in...because tomorrow comes quickly and this journey is far from over!!

YES WE CAN.....YES WE DID.....YES WE WILL!!

Election Day!!

It's finally here, Election Day. 2 years in the making, eh? Seems like this race has gone on forever, and yet suddenly we find ourselves at the end of it.

It's exciting and scary all at the same time. I love this 'standing on the edge of something, about ready to jump and yet reluctant to take that one last step that will plunge you into midair' kind of feeling. I've had it before in key moments of my life and I truly feel that this is a key moment for our nation. Tomorrow we will make history. We will either have the first African American President, or the first woman Vice-President. Readers of this blog know all too well which one I'd prefer to see happen when the votes are counted, but even though I have my preferences, I fervently wish that everyone gets out and takes advantage of their right to vote.

As I picked up the laptop to hurry up and type this post before midnight, Chris joked "Oh I know what you're going to write, some patriotic, "get out and vote" post, aren't you?!" . Well yes Chris, that's exactly what I'm writing. I've said this all before, but I can't resist saying it one more time because I sense this is going to be the "big" vote of our generation. In 20 years will I be telling the story about this election and my vote in it as a way to encourage a future niece or nephew (or my own child) to be politically active and vote? Part of me thinks it's possible.

This election year has brought the American people a different experience from what we've had in the past. Unfortunately, we've seen a Senator who I used to have great respect for, throw all he said he stood for out the window and take a gamble on a VP choice just to try and sway the female, conservative vote, which to me is one of the most disgusting displays of sexism I've seen in a long time. But on the other end of the spectrum, we've seen a candidate who everyone thought was the underdog in this race create a grassroots campaign style that inspired many to give of their time and wallet in order to propel him closer and closer to the White House.

I don't know what Obama will be able to accomplish as POTUS, I don't expect everything he promised in his campaign to come true. His ideals have given so many of us what we needed most--hope. Hope that things can be better than they've been for the last 8 years. Hope that we really can do something to bring our country out of its downward spiral. Hope that running a semi-clean campaign could actually be a success. Hope that we as individuals really DO have the power to change the world.

Tonight I sit here with that hope. In the back of my mind I remember 4 years ago, how crushed I was when the results came in, how despondent I was, how much I feared for our country and what the next 4 years would be like. Looking at it honestly I can say some of my fears really did come true, and I grieve the things that our country has lost. But I choose to silence my inner doubter tonight and instead take a moment to let that hope and excitement flow through me.

We are here, we have worked hard, and I believe that if everyone gets out and votes, no matter how long the lines are or how frustrating the crowds are, we will see the fruits of our labor as the vote counts come in. We can win this race and set a new course for the next 4 years, YES WE CAN!

What It's Like

I can't get over the "woman's life" air-quotes bull shit from last night's debate. To me, it was a glaring example of what I feel a lot of people in this world lack, UNDERSTANDING and COMPASSION.

For the last two weeks this song has been playing through my mind every day. Every day. I remember when it came out vividly because I was still a "pro-life, anti-abortion Christian". However, I was deeply struggling with the things that I'd been taught were "absolutely wrong", like homosexuality, sex before marriage, and abortion. I listened to the lyrics in this song and they really, really got to me. For an instant I was that girl, being ambushed by protesters while trying to get to the clinic, agonising over the choice I was left to make by the "man" who helped me get into this situation. Then I thought about a woman that was raped and how she would feel, pregnant with the child of her attacker. Or a young girl barely past puberty, her womb violated and impregnated by her father, uncle, the guy next door.

In putting on their shoes and walking for a minute, it all became so clear. What right to we have to judge that which most of us will never have to go through? What right do we have to take away their rights to their bodies? If it were me, would I want people to make that choice for me? NO.

And there you have it, the shift....that moment when the earth shifts beneath you and you know without a doubt that your perspective has been forever altered and you can't go back to the way you were before.

I sincerely wish people would take a moment to step outside their comfort zone and put on the shoes of another in a situation much different than the one they live in. Then maybe, just maybe they could imagine what it's like.

Vote!

Topic of the month for NaBloPoMo is "Vote". As an American living outside the US, voting this year will be an entirely different experience than it was 4 years ago!

My last Presidential vote was cast in a tiny volunteer fire department building, with a pen and a paper ballot, sitting at a table with partitions that no one seemed to use. The woman who handed me the ballot and asked if it was the first time I'd voted (it was), smiled, and made a comment about how great it was to see young people coming out to give that good man another 4 years for the sake of our country. This was rural Alabama after all, so her comment came as no surprise. I smiled back and didn't have the heart to tell her I was one of those dreaded Democrats and there was no way in hell I'd willingly give that "good man" another 4 years to screw over our country. But believe me, I thoroughly enjoyed sitting there and casting one of the only votes for Kerry that probably came from that little polling place!

We all know how the election turned out, but I still remember that proud feeling I had as I placed my ballot in the box and stepped out into the early November rain. It makes think of all the new voters that have been registered this year through all the organisations working to ensure that everyone has a say and every vote is counted.

Today early voting starts in 8 states in the US, and absentee voters from around the world will also be voting this month(including me). Some states will close their voter registration soon (if they haven't already), while others allow registering up to the day of the election.

Have you registered to vote this year? If not, check out what your state requirements are and if still permitted, I encourage you to register and make your vote count! Don't know if you're registered or not? This site will hook you up with the info you need to find out if you are. Overseas? Try this site and be sure to check out the special shipping deals FedEx is offering for mailing your ballot to the US, in some places (like New Zealand) it's even free!