reaching out

reaching out, originally uploaded by dwain.

There was great excitement in Athens Wednesday morning. My students were all agitated, either in excitement or despair. It's fascinating to hear the opinions of parents through their children. I had one student today say he saw a red laser dot on Obama's forehead during his victory speech, like a marksman's scope. When do children become smart?

I don't know the political leanings of you, faithful reader, but let me say that I began yesterday with a sensation I haven't felt for many years: patriotism. Regardless of how you voted and where you stand on issues, it is impossible not to reflect with wonder at the ability of a community divided to unite despite its differences. I overhead a couple of expat teachers at the school celebrating Wednesday morning, and they all mentioned that they were proud, that morning, to be American. The notion that a country could "split" in an election yet remain united is foreign to many nations, and I believe John McCain's eloquent concession speech is a perfect example of the spirit which uniquely unites the States.

I went to bed early on Tuesday after an evening at a friend's house watching CNN. I couldn't stay up all night to watch it, and we had missed the tickets to the party at the Hilton. I woke up at 6 on Wednesday and decided to take a shower. Whatever the outcome was, I wanted to be awake and refreshed to absorb it. I think I'll always remember the moment like I remember the moment I heard about the Twin Towers. I saw the headline and the smile, and I just had to shout out in joy and wonder. I saw a link that said he would be speaking soon, and by sheer chance I was able to watch his acceptance speech live on the internet. It wasn't as eloquent as McCain's, in my opinion, but the spirit behind it and the fact of the moment were astounding.

I hope I offended no one with this.