Imagine all the people, sharing all the world

And suddenly...there was a wave of silence and peace. Obama won the election and all the world seemed quiet with hope.

I went to my polling place early, intent on voting before school. The first part of production night for the JACC issue was on that Tuesday and no one had the faintest of when any of us would be home. I skirted through the puddles from the early morning rain and went through the chain link gates of the San Pedro Science Center--and trust me, it's not as epic as it sounds. There was a line reaching far, far out the door, but I was determined to wait, even if it meant being terribly late to class. Good thing there were two tables, and my table was empty, so I bypassed the line. The first page asked me to choose to president. I inked a dot. Hard. For Barack Obama.

I was still late to class. I didn't care. I was making a difference. I could already feel it. The newsroom carried its usual demeanor, with an air of laughter and companionship. Every few moments, we pulled up CNN.com or Yahoo! to check on electoral votes. When Kentucky became the first to announce, McCain was ahead and of course some people had to try to start a ruckus by making it seem as though McCain had Obama by the throat. By the end of production night, Obama had 226 electoral votes and McCain had 89. We left for home certain the race was over.

The first thing I saw when going to my computer was The First Black President! blaring from my screen. It was then I knew we did it, and it wasn't just an ambition anymore. It was happening. The house never seemed so quiet as I watched the news stations going in circles about the election. There were a few tears from me. I know now that change is possible. It was always a hope, but in the humility amid the peace that come from the hushed pride and joy of America and all the world, I saw it with my own eyes and felt it in my heart.


Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Put on your red shoes and dance the blues

Running.
Everyone is running.
We're all scattered.

It didn't quite hit home when my ex, of which I realized I haven't yet put his name down (it's Anthony, by the way), left for Ohio on Thursday. His mom has become one of the nomads precariously slipping off the edge and wandering about for work to stay alive. Who knows how long they're going to be gone. They said it was just a few weeks, but webs can be spun in all but a day or two. They could end up stuck.
It's not that I didn't care and I just watched him leave without a feeling in my veins. I cried. I really did.
Even when I found out they were coming back "soon," I cried. Bastardo....
I guess I was just feeling numb.

And maybe, just maybe, I took the liberty of doing everything I have done today just to cope with it. I got up right when the alarm went off, put on my new shoes, new blouse, new pants, my favorite necklace and some of my best earrings. I looked so good (I assume) that the first thing I heard as I tried to get in the car was honking and hollering from a man that looked like someone from ZZ-Top speeding down my street. I went to class listening to London After Midnight and feeling really awesome. So awesome, in fact, that chills went down my spine. I stayed in the newsroom longer than I had to just because I felt like staying in there and looking upon the staff. I left with some more London After Midnight echoing. I got home, helped my friend retaliate against her overbearing step-father and made the guy's daughter cry because she was a huge bitch to Aalyssa. I felt even better and tried calling up Andy, but I couldn't get a hold of him. So I dropped Frances a line and we took off to the mall, ate and shopped. I even got a call from my best friend from elementary school earlier.
And now, I just might go to a party with Suzy, Crisitan and Matt at 11. And while I'm at it, I just may sit with the guru. He's a good man. A great man. Believe me, he and I can see many tomorrows together.

All the while, I keep thinking of Anthony. As Vanessa and I discussed earlier when she called, it seems so wrong of us to think of our exes. But we do, and we're just funny people for it. And now that I look at all I've done today...I've just been running. Maybe I hoped that freedom wasn't too far off.

On a different note, let me speak on the Obama issue.
First thing, just because he's friends with a racist shitbag doesn't mean he's a racist shitbag. Okay? Got it? Good.
Oh, why not, you say? Because I can be friends with someone who's adamantly hates black people, for instance. As long as he doesn't talk about it around me, I can force myself to overlook it...and also because there could be a possibility that I didn't know the person was racist until later in our friendship. In turn, after the person and I had gone through a lot, I wouldn't be able to just dump them. There's too much friendship there. And just because he used his grandmother as an example doesn't mean he's so tightly knit to that guy that it's almost a family level. Seriously, that's the most ridiculous fuckin unwarranted assumption I've ever heard. Get a grip. Goddamn.

On the flip side, everyone bitching about Fox News and how everyone is acting like they hate Obama, you know what? They hate Hillary and McCain, too. Every last one of them. Okay, so maybe that's an exaggeration, but my point is that there are always going to be people who hate whoever or whatever it is you like. There are going to be people who take it too far and there are going to be people who say/do supremely idiotic things. That doesn't mean, however, that you should go around acting like you've hammered your brains out with an actual fuckin hammer. You people need to get a grip, too. You say: "Oh, they edited out the most important part of his speech out, those fuckers!" but in turn, you go around quoting people and making videos editing out important parts of their commentary. Sounds like a double standard and it smells like shit. Don't do it. You're making us Democrats look like whiners, which is exactly how the stereotype goes. Stereotypes = bad.

Really, both sides need to stop dicking around. It's stupid.