No Limitations

So, no one knows more than Dave...and my friends John and Brian, how much I hate...really hate, watching gory slasher movies. I don't mind reading the plot summary and the graphic details...I just don't want to see it. Knowing this, they remind me with occasional forays into scenes from the movie Hostel. Book me a Hyatt, please!

I think most people that are close to me also know that I am a big softy and will well up at the drop of a hat. It sucks. When the family finally sees their new home on Extreme Home Makeover, during various romantic comedies on those cold winter afternoons and when people with a heart bigger than most take the time and energy to give back. Turn on the waterworks.

It should be no surprise then that last night - and my eyes are welling up as I write this - the anxiety of the election turned into often surprising results. As results from Virginia, our former home state, were coming in, our anxiety increased. We poured over the returns county by county with Dave knowing most since he's a native. Red, red, red...but with some large blue counties not counted yet. And a judge earlier that day allowed the absentee votes to be counted up until November 14 - these would be mainly McCain supporters in the military. Optimism began to wane and I went in the other room to watch the Daily Show election night coverage.

A little while later, Dave woke me up all excited. They called Virginia for Obama! They called Virgina for Obama! I jumped out of bed and ran to CNN.com to check out the details. Sure enough...damn! Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virgina...I did the math adding in the west coast. There was no way McCain could win unless he was perfect in the remaining states. The way he sulked around on that stage during the debates....he's no Nadia Comaneci! Slim chance.

Then came the big announcement. Obama won. As Joe Biden would say, "Let me repeat that" Obama won! We were watching CNN and they made the call. I leaned over and gave Dave a kiss on the side of his head and he rubbed my shoulder. Without a word, we both knew that we were witnessing an incredibly historic event and stared at the TV thru clouded eyes.

The details started rolling in. Obama had 90,000 people at his November 3 rally in Manassas Virgina...where we used to live. Grant Park is expecting hundreds of thousands of people - even up to a million in the surrounding area. A spontaneous celebration of 15,000 in DC celebrating around the White House and up on U Street. People around the world celebrating and congratulating the U.S.- and being shown on TV like when they celebrated the Millenium turning from 1999 to 2000.

More importantly, was voter turnout. A whopping 64% of eligible voters turned out - the highest turnout since 1908...ONE HUNDRED YEARS! Almost 137 million people went to the polls according to the estimate from turnout guru Dr. Michael McDonald at George Mason University. Additionally younger voters turned out in droves! This generation that many viewed as apathetic - moved by Obama, war, the economy and the destruction of the environment. It just took the right motivation to awaken that sleeping giant.

The United States elected its first black President. Only 45 years ago in August 1963, Martin Luther King gave his stirring "I have a dream..." speech when civil rights were being pushed and at the beginning of a volatile time in our country's history - Rosa Parks in 1955, Brown vs. the Board of Education in 1954, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a ridiculous Loving vs Virgina in 1967 - all focused on expanding civil rights regardless of race.

This was a time when parents would tell their children when they grow up, they can be anything they want...astronaut, teacher, cowboy, nurse, even President of the United States. I'm sure some parents believed their own words and I'm sure some didn't. How could they believe? They were drinking from separate water fountains, getting bussed to different schools and told they couldn't live here or there or work here or there.

The world woke up this morning with a new hope. Regardless of how you voted in yesterday's election, things are different now. Things have changed. So tonight before you go to bed, kiss your child on the forehead and tell them that now you know for sure. They CAN be anything they want. There are no limitations.