The icy cold heart that usually resides in the dark crevice of my sternum is warm and fuzzy this morning. I was lucky enough to take part in the Obama rally held at Grant Park in downtown Chicago last night and share in a truly historic moment with thousands of strangers around me. Truth be told, I thought the process would take a little longer but it ended up being (thankfully) anti-climactic. Being the short, round girl that I am - I had to rely on the taller people around me to tell me why we were all cheering once something new flashed on the screens around us.
When the announcement came that Obama won, I think everyone was in shock. Everyone was calmly cheering - I was expecting more hugging and tears of joy. Now that I think of it though, we weren't able to bring in alcohol and they weren't selling any so I know that I, for one, was less likely to throw my arms around a stranger.
I've got to hand it to McCain, his concession speech was classy. Nothing prepared me for how patriotic I would feel while listening to Obama give his acceptance speech though. I'm probably the least political person in my family and while I pay attention to what's going on - I wouldn't say I get overly excited about listening to debates or checking CNN for the latest coverage. Last night though, listening to Obama, I was inspired and hopeful for our country.
Don't worry this won't turn into a political blog. I'm still more interested in Lindsay Lohan's breakfast than I am in day-to-day politics. I just couldn't let the day pass without sharing my hope and belief that today we are a new country and it's a wonderful feeling.