Amazing, Improbable, and Beautiful

What an amazing, improbable, beautiful, and moving few days.

The positive and hopeful sentiments pouring into my mailbox have been so heartening. Alice Walker's Open Letter to Barack Obama brought me to tears, though to be fair, everything has been bringing me to tears since Tuesday. The sense of relief I feel is not just emotional, but strongly visceral and physical. My "acquired brother" (to use a phrase of his) (see his fabulous website) described it as "a day that will someday sooth me on my death bed." I understand what he means.

He and I are talking about putting together a book of personal writings from the campaign trail, so if you blogged, or journaled, and would be willing to possibly have us publish your writing, please leave me a comment and I'll contact you. Pictures would be fabulous too, as long as you took them (and therefore own the copyright).

Things Change: Surrounded By Positive Energy

Unlike folks in the Chicago metro area, who live in a blue state, down state Illinois is not blue. Downstate Illinois is rural and much more conservative. A big red dot in a big blue state. I drove to Chicago on Tuesday night, and while I was not at Grant Park, I was so glad to be there the next day. Even though McLean County went blue (by about 900 votes) this year, the red roots of this community run deep. I knew the atmosphere here would be angry and hostile (despite the Pantagraph's endorsement of Obama).

In Chicago, I went to Trader Joe's (bonus!) wearing my Obama shirt. The guy who checked me out saw it and said, "Yes we can." Earlier in the day when I was out walking I said to a woman wearing an Obama button, "It's a good day." She responded, "It's a great day." The feeling in Chicago wasn't euphoric - more calmly tired, happy and hopeful. Balm to my soul.

On the other hand...on the drive home a guy who was walking out of a rest stop as I was walking in saw my shirt and would have killed me with his eyes if he could. I'm trying not to focus on the angry or hostile people because that dovetails with my fear that some will be angry enough to try to take him out.

I went almost immediately into worry about his safety, of course, until someone pointed out that if we can elect him against the odds, maybe we need to apply the "Yes we can" philosophy to keeping him alive. I love that I've already received an email from the campaign asking us all to stay connected and active through www.change.gov (a new organization to facilitate communication with the Obama/Biden Administration. Questions, suggestions, or comments about the federal government, policy, or the coming Obama/Biden Administration? Visit the online Office of the President-elect for more information and to get involved: www.change.gov

Below is an award-winning music video using the words of a Barack speech. Enjoy.