So I am not going to bring up politics, except to say I am so excited Obama won!!!! What an amazing journey. We are living history!!! Tonio heard Barack Obama speak at his Master's graduation ceremony at Northwestern University in 2006 and was so impressed with our senator at the time that he downloaded the speech for me to read (I missed his graduation because I was in Costa Rica!)... Even those who don't agree with him politically must acknowledge the profound impact his presidency will have on history. I feel like having an African-American in the position of president is sort-of like overcoming the last racial frontier or barrier. I know we won't see instantaneous change tomorrow (or January 20th) but I will be optimistically patient:).
As we were watching the returns, around 8pm my sister mentioned that she wanted to go downtown to Grant Park to hear the speech. Of course I would go with her!!! So my brother, sister and I frantically rushed to catch the train and then between text messages and phone calls kept tabs on who was winning which states- "he got Pennsylvania," "it looks like he'll win," and then we made it to the city and were literally running down Madison trying to get to Grant Park and I got a text from my other brother saying "Obama won!" You could tell that the news was just trickling into the throngs of people because you would hear a shriek, clapping,
screaming- people didn't know if he had just won another state or had won the election. Passing by bars and restaurants with crowds surrounding TVs and jumping up and down- it reminded me of being in London during the World Cup or being in Latin America during any soccer game... everyone rooting for the home team, hugging strangers bonded by the whirlwind of emotions. We finally got to Grant Park and the periodic dull roars enveloped us in a crescendo of cheers as the news was being broadcast on huge screens scattered around Grant Park:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pebSbUKHnWE
That's not my video, I got it from youtube, but it was my experience and still sends chills down my back and puts tears in my eyes!!!
WHY DIDN'T I HAVE MY CAMERA!???? I can't believe I didn't bring my camera or videocamera- what was I thinking!???
Here are my cousin's awesome pictures of Grant Park: http://www.flickr.com/photos/engelsj/sets/72157608684896129/
I am so proud to be an American.
As we were watching the returns, around 8pm my sister mentioned that she wanted to go downtown to Grant Park to hear the speech. Of course I would go with her!!! So my brother, sister and I frantically rushed to catch the train and then between text messages and phone calls kept tabs on who was winning which states- "he got Pennsylvania," "it looks like he'll win," and then we made it to the city and were literally running down Madison trying to get to Grant Park and I got a text from my other brother saying "Obama won!" You could tell that the news was just trickling into the throngs of people because you would hear a shriek, clapping,
screaming- people didn't know if he had just won another state or had won the election. Passing by bars and restaurants with crowds surrounding TVs and jumping up and down- it reminded me of being in London during the World Cup or being in Latin America during any soccer game... everyone rooting for the home team, hugging strangers bonded by the whirlwind of emotions. We finally got to Grant Park and the periodic dull roars enveloped us in a crescendo of cheers as the news was being broadcast on huge screens scattered around Grant Park:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pebSbUKHnWE
That's not my video, I got it from youtube, but it was my experience and still sends chills down my back and puts tears in my eyes!!!
WHY DIDN'T I HAVE MY CAMERA!???? I can't believe I didn't bring my camera or videocamera- what was I thinking!???
Here are my cousin's awesome pictures of Grant Park: http://www.flickr.com/photos/engelsj/sets/72157608684896129/
I am so proud to be an American.
1 comment:
yes, i hope obama winning does something for our nation's terrible internal race relations! if only everyone viewed everyone else as an individual!
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