Friday, November 7, 2008
A Brighter Day Will Come.
“America, tonight if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do. If we do what we must do then I have no doubt that all across the country the people will rise up in November and this country will reclaim its promise and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.” - Barack Obama
My sisters love making fun of me. Whether it’s for getting pissed off, storming down the stairs and eating shit while they watch my long hair shake about as my ass bounces down the stairs and I try to grab the rail to mitigate my fall OR my girlfriend bought metrosexual 80’s polo shirt OR my eclectic and at times cheesy taste in music, they relish the opportunity to deflate my physically and figuratively big head.
Those brother deprecating times came mostly when we were living together (Geez, seems like so long ago) and I would play music in our living room. I’d play everything from Tori Amos that Cloddy would cling on to and eventually identify with to Bob Dylan that no one but I liked to The Beatles and Café Tacuba and Bob Marley that we all loved to Tupac that Mayra embraced and so on. There were quite a few tracks that received mixed reviews, mostly Mayra saying something like, “Fuck Louie, play something else.”
One of those songs was Sam Cooke’s “A Change Gonna Come.” It’s not so much that Mayra hated it but she’d complain about the opening line, “I was born by the river in a little tent…” that in her adolescent stage seemed like a silly statement in a teenage life that could care less about rivers and tents and silky smooth voices that weren’t reporting on pop culture. I think we’ve all been there.
Tuesday Night…
The magnitude of what happened on Tuesday hasn’t completely sunk in; not even close. The lingering fear of a potentially stolen election coupled with a perceived L.A. born Bradley effect can wreak havoc on a psyche even after the fact. To the biggest cliché in the world: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Well, the final results are in and yes, they’re as true as the dimples on Noah’s cheeks.
I will not soon forget the moment CNN projected the historical result. I was sitting in front of my nephew, watching him watch me and holding his little hand as he stuck his tongue out, kicked and oooh’d. The theoretical and ideological oscillations of this country were reduced to Wolf Blizter saying, “CNN can now project that Barack Obama, 47 years old, will become the president elect of the United States.” Jaws dropped, knots emerged in throats and eyes watered. Well, that was just me and Noah. Holding his hand as history was announced was Pablo Neruda and Miguel Pinero put together. I grabbed his little hands and raised ‘em up. He flashed a smile, a laugh and kept on kicking. Truth is, we had some friends over but for that moment, through McCain’s concession and Obama’s victory speech I was at one with the result while often peering over at Noah and his now even brighter days.
January 20, 2009
I look forward to having a President I consider to be significantly smarter than me as opposed to a dip shit I wouldn’t even want to engage in a “How’s it going” conversation. I’m ecstatic that our new President elect considers himself at the foot of the mountain and not at the top. For the first time in my life, I’m proud of my country; at least the 65 million plus voters that ink blotted, tapped or hole punched the circle/square next to the name Barack Obama.
“It’s been a long, a long time coming but I know a change gonna come.”
Sam Cooke, the civil rights movement mantra that you started in May of 1963 in Durham, North Carolina is here. No one will deny we still have our problems but rest assured a new day is upon us. Today, it’s a little less hard living.
The theory that anyone in this country can become president has always been a pile of bullshit to me. Today, it is very real. 65 million plus can finally hold a mirror up to our country and not be utterly ashamed at the reflection. Again, we still have a ways to go but this is was a giant leap in the right direction that I will be teary eyed proud of for the rest of my days.
Labels: 2008 Election, fam, Obama
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After I finished reading this piece, I turned up the volume to Sam Cooke all while I watched Noah and Carlos nap with such peace only they can. I have to admit, it was quite the poetic experience...so thanx.
And Sofia was right, 2008 turned out to be a revolutionary year...and not just for the Monte crew.
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And Sofia was right, 2008 turned out to be a revolutionary year...and not just for the Monte crew.
# posted by 
: November 7, 2008 3:48 PM
: November 7, 2008 3:48 PM 
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