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Jan. 21st, 2009 09:34 amI was still listening to the speech on Radio 4 when my phone beeped. "President Barack Obama. Congratulations, dear heart!" from Dan. I spent so much time smiling at the first three words that it took me a while to get around to the next one.
It didn't seem fair to congratulate me! "I had only the tiniest part to play," I replied. If it weren't for the fact that I live in Minnesota, I would've been pretty sure my absentee ballot wouldn't have been counted at all. And yet I did feel like I was not just listening to this speech but somehow participating in the occasion, even though in this most grassroots of campaigns I could not join in -- knocking on my neighbors' doors to tell them how great Obama is would've gotten me lots of "yeah, and?" and wouldn't have gotten him any votes. Lots of work was done to get us to this day, but none of it by me.
And yet...
When Dan sensibly replied that my part was the equal of anyone else's, I worked hard to fit what I wanted to say into the confines of text message character limits. I ended up with And so my joy is as great as anyone else's. Yes I know not to expect miracles... but still I teared up a bit because finally the leader of my country is someone like me, in the way that matters most: not white, not a woman, but an intellectual.
It didn't seem fair to congratulate me! "I had only the tiniest part to play," I replied. If it weren't for the fact that I live in Minnesota, I would've been pretty sure my absentee ballot wouldn't have been counted at all. And yet I did feel like I was not just listening to this speech but somehow participating in the occasion, even though in this most grassroots of campaigns I could not join in -- knocking on my neighbors' doors to tell them how great Obama is would've gotten me lots of "yeah, and?" and wouldn't have gotten him any votes. Lots of work was done to get us to this day, but none of it by me.
And yet...
When Dan sensibly replied that my part was the equal of anyone else's, I worked hard to fit what I wanted to say into the confines of text message character limits. I ended up with And so my joy is as great as anyone else's. Yes I know not to expect miracles... but still I teared up a bit because finally the leader of my country is someone like me, in the way that matters most: not white, not a woman, but an intellectual.