washwords

Twas brilling.

That’s what I think of whenever I think of new: beginnings, burstings, brillings.

And we are at one. A precipice, a change, a moment. Yes, I’m politically biased in this: “my guy won.” And yet, not really. I wasn’t sure up to the moments before the primary and though I saw a lot to like in Obama, something pulled me back again and again to Hillary; I was late to the Obama party. What I see now is about something more, true, real hope. And pride. And it is something I haven’t seen for so so long.

What do others think? Well, wow, they’re telling us: from the rooftops, or the modern-day equivalent anyway – twitter, facebook, email, IM.

CNN had something they called “the moment”: I envisioned a collection of moments – what singular moment defined this experience for you – good/ bad/ funny/ poignant? That’s not what CNN meant – theirs turned out to be some weird microsofty photo thingie. cool, but … eh? I liked my idea better, so here it is… here’s what a few people said was their moment, their “elevator story” as journalists like to say, some of them I know, some I don’t, but I want to hear them all. (Yes, even if you don’t agree in what I feel was the true spirit of the day.) What are yours?

“By the dawn’s early light”: Photo by KW

• A friend of a friend, one of several lovely people I’ve “met” emailing about Obama since before the election says: I still cannot believe that my we have THIS. I am amazed
• Volunteering Friend: It was freezing, it was disorganized. And it was wonderful.
• Dear Obamaniac Writer Friend: Ok. I scored a ticket at the last minute (the night before) and set out alone to to make it to the “Orange Section,” just to the right of the Capitol, and ran into crowds so huge I really thought I wouldn’t make it. Read the rest of this entry »

I promise to stop with the Obamarama…. soon. Not quite yet.

Today, what made me cry, watching the Obama Express whistlestop tour’s stop in Baltimore:

people clapping and yelling for the Pledge of Allegiance. The PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

I mean first of all, they knew and recited the words en masse, with feeling, unprompted.

Maybe (probably) I’m overly pollyanna about this but … to me it says, people are proud to be American again. And for some, it’s been a really really long time.

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My love meets me on the Hill after a Saturday class. In the mist of four o clock and the salt of margaritas, he takes my mittened hand and we walk.

Around the Capitol. Literally around it. From the House buildings on the south, walking north but into the park, along the east front. The yellow warm of the lights hitting the moon-colored marble columns. It’s breathtaking. Truly, deeply, breathtaking. I had forgotten how much so. and like, as an intern here so many summers ago, I feel lucky.

[“The U.S. Capitol at Night” on Flickr by DoYouMindtheGap]

Lucky, not only for the obvious, living in this country, in comfort and prosperity, having friends and family and hope and heart… but the littler things, too. Living HERE, in D.C., where a class is held at the Library of Congress, Read the rest of this entry »