If you had a time machine that only let you spend one hour in a different time, what date would you go to? #postaday2011

One hour in a different time....what day would I choose? This makes me think of so many possibilities. I think it might be sweet to be with my parents the hour before I was born. It would be sweet to be there again for the births of both of my kids - maybe the second time there weren't be some much pain. I would really like to experience the moment that reading worked for me, the moment that all the lessons clicked in for me and I could read. This is an exciting time to be with children. Right before your eyes their word has changed. Right. In. That. Moment. I would also like to be on the Mall when Martin Luther King, Jr. presented his "I have a dream" speech. I wonder if I would be welcomed as a Euro-American. I would have liked to feel the hope and love in that crowd. I would love to be in Chicago, Illinois the night that President Obama was elected. One hour in the presence of this crowd would have been exciting, invigorating, and energy giving! I would have love to be transported to the moment when women gained the right to vote! So, I suppose I should pick one. One hour at another time - I would have to go with the birth of the kids again. It was a sweet, special, magical moment that my heart has never forgotten and I would love to feel those thoughts/feelings again.

A night I'll never forget!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008. I worked until 6:30 pm, it was already dark out side, but a beautiful 67 degrees as I walked out of the office! As I arrived home I heard the television set boasting news and early election information. There wasn't any numbers in yet, but shortly returns began as the polls closed on the east coast and numbers were coming in...McCain was ahead and the thought of a repeat from 2000 or 2004 was on my mind. Things began to shift in favor of Obama. We had plans for joining the Story County Democrats at a local bar, Legends, to celebrate, but wanted to wait until later in the evening to join the crowd. So we sat on the coach, both Dan and I with our laptops, flipping channels between CNN, MNBC, C-Span, and for laughs...Fox News while I was Twittering, visiting Facebook, and reading Huffington Post updates. It was quite the night. We arrived at Legends around 9 pm and the place was hopping already. Media were set-up, Dems were mingling and keeping an eye on the multiple television screens throughout the restaurant. The place really got excited as Obama started gaining over 100 electoral. When he went over the required 270 the place went wild! Claps, cheers, dancing, jumping...it was wonderful. Several of the local and state elected officials were with us, lots of hand shaking, back patting, and hugging going on. We couldn't hear much of McCain's speech, not that we really needed or wanted to, but the body language was loud and clear - "Get me the hell off of this stage." I don't think McCain ever wanted to win, I think his selection of Palin was intentional to cause him to lose...in addition to his own personal/political challenges. When Obama came to the microphone the place was silent. The establishment turned up the volume on all the television sets and folks stood watching. As he spoke tears came to my eyes, the kept coming and ran down my cheeks, neck, and dampened by Obama t-shirt. He spoke for all that haven't been heard before. Obama speaks from a position of understanding privilege, dominance, subordination, and oppression. He understands the lived experiences of many who have never had someone with positional leadership and power. The hope the exudes from Obama has been absorbed by many. This IS the time for change, for paradigms to shift, for the world to come together and care for each other first and compete with each other second. It was a night I will never forget. My hope and dream is that we all not let this feeling of possibilities slip from our hearts and minds.  

Too Excited to Sleep!

This election marks the 30th year that I have been old enough to vote. In that time I have not felt the collective passion that recognizes the power of the people and the belief in the democratic process. It has been a long campaign and several people haven't gotten what they perhaps wanted on the tickets. But the Democratic Party and the Obama Campaign has brought the party together with a united voice. The Obama team orchestrated a beautiful, respectful campaign that took the high road and kept us focused on the important issues. Things that I am curious about:

• Why are the debates between Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates called debates? What would happen if the were actual debates? Could the campaign season be shortened?
• Does the Republican Party not fund higher education to keep voters from getting a college education and learn how to critically think and therefore vote Democratic?
• How long will politicians continue to support dualistic, capitalistic, competition that causes everyone eventually to lose? Can we shift the paradigm in the next four years?
• Would anyone else like to see a true debate between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sarah Palin? It would wisely redirect Palin's career path.
• It is time to fix the methods we use to vote, count, and confirm numbers. It is time to find the method that serves US citizens and protect the integrity of our political process. 
• What happened to the news outside of the campaign? I wonder if there is a need to not cover political news in order to continue to inform citizens of local, state, national, AND GLOBAL news! 

I shift between....ok, this is going to be all right and I can sleep...to...I'm afraid to sleep, something is going to happen and it will all fall apart. What is wrong with these thoughts? I don't trust the political leadership in power positions right now...I don't trust that there isn't something happening to maintain status quo.

And then I think of Obama's last rally....90,000 in attendance!! I think of the younger, first time voters who are pissed off and ready to take control. I think of the "We Generation" that will shoulder the mess from George W. for their lifetime....and I calm down a bit....but, still...don't think I'll be getting a lot of sleep tonight. 

Remember this day. Remember these feelings and the possibilities. It is now. The time has arrived. Shift starts....