A night for the ages...

Reflecting back at last night and this morning, Ashley's account is an example of an experience that was repeated by MILLIONS across the entire planet. I can't help but think back to last night. Elise setting the Tivo to record the entire CNN election broadcast....padded by 3 hours to boot. Walking with Elise and Bella to the local public high school to vote. Bella going into the booth with Elise and letting her actually pull the lever, as if Bella was voting for her own dreams and possibilites.

Rushing back to catch up with CNN and seeing the results come in slowly at a crawl. Oh the suspense!!! Seeing McCain lead in early results for Virginia, a key state to Obama winning...and having a little bit of worry but calming myself down as it was only 5% of returns counted so far for the state. Seeing all the blue states go for Obama that were going to go for him. Then logging on to order some Pappa John's pizza (election day special large with 3 toppings for $11.04 - the date) and seeing flash on the MSN home page that PA went for Obama. YES! A serious dent in McCain's chances!

Munching on our pizza, seeing all the typical red states colored yellow because it's too close to call. Now that's what I'm talking about! All Obama needed was one....just one of the big ones and it was over. Florida, he's up. Virginia is now tied. North Carolina he's barely up. Then Wolf Blitzer announces with CNN's dramatic music: "We can now project that Barack Obama will carry the state of Ohio...". That's it! It's over! There's no way McCain can win now! Even John King and his magic wall detail the obvious. The grim look on Alex Castellanos face. The suppressed joy on Roland Martin's face. Is this really happening????? Then we both nod off from itis. It's a long while still until the west coast results come in. I doze off seeing "207" down in the corner for Barack Obama. Maybe I am dreaming?

A shake from Elise and I open my eyes to see "291" down in the corner. "HE DID IT! HE DID IT!" I sat quietly listening to David Gergen's reaction to the history being made. Shots of the crowd in Grant Park, Chicago waiting for Obama are shown. People hugging, jumping, screaming, crying.... I am NOT dreaming this! Shots of Times Square, Harlem, Pennsylvania Avenue in DC....people everywhere bursting into celebration as if it's New Year's Eve. Seeing both men and women wiping their eyes, one women physically on her knees sobbing. Jesse Jackson in the crowd, his face glistening with tears, his eyes red. Oh man, I start to feel it coming on. Phew! Deep breaths, deep breaths!

A nice speech by the REAL John McCain, not the angry neocon that was impersonating him. Then they cut to Chicago. And I'll never forget the announcer: "Ladies and Gentlemen.....The First Family!" Bam, the dam breaks and tears start coming up. This IS real. He WILL be President. Yes we DID. The pan shots of the crowd, deep as the eye can see. His two beautiful daughters. His lovely wife...OUR First Lady. Joe Biden, his wife and family. What a great sight to behold. Random car drives down the street blowing it's horn outside. LOL! Pride is felt inside me like nothing I've felt before.

Then his speech. It's like the most beautiful music to my ears. Ingesting every sentence, every word. How we are all Americans. How this election was about us. How there is nothing we can't solve. "Yes we can." He weaves into his speech parts of MLK's vision. That we may not get there in a year. Maybe not even in a single term. "But I promise you....together, we'll get there." A more perfect union. An America that takes care of all her citizens. Then he talks about the 106 year old woman from Atlanta. The tale he tells of everything that she had been through and witnessed is so powerful. That it would end with her casting her vote for Barack Obama. And that here he is on stage, the 44th President of the United States.

Finally he ends his speech in a way that hits you deep down: "This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can."



I still hold it in. That is until I see splashed across the screen in all it's high-definition glory with his picture:



"Barack Obama: Elected President."



I sit back and let it go. Yes we can, America. Yes we did.