Election Day

So yesterday had to be one of the most amazing days of my life.

I went to my classes and etc., and then I had to take the travel to Tacoma to go vote because I was too lazy to ask for an absentee ballot. But c'est la vie, and the trip down wasn't bad at all. There was no traffic, I got to see my parents for a little and talk about the fact that my computer is being a crack whore and having emotional breakdowns (me being able to actually use it right now is somewhat of a fluke), and I had a very interesting conversation with the lady behind me at the polling place about literature. There were so many people there, it was kind of overwhelming. She told me that she had lived in the district all her life but had never seen this many people voting before. It was kind of empowering.
So after that I came back home (to Seattle) and hung out with my roommate. We went to this thing they were having on campus to watch the election coverage, which surprisingly had very few people there. I was nervous though, since I knew this election would determine what I was going to do for the next so many years of my life; if McCain had been voted (i.e. if Sarah Palin had a chance of being President) I'd be staying in France. Just sayin'.
So we're hanging out, then go to the library for a moment so Catherine could print something out for class, and get back home just in time to see Obama's acceptance speech, which was amazing. I almost cried. I feel so emotionally elevated.
Fast foward a little to when our friend Sean stops by. We're on the couch and Komo 4 news is going on in the background, and all of a sudden we see the words "Live from Capitol Hill, Seattle". Instantly we're engrossed because, well, we LIVE on Capitol Hill. Turns out there is a PARTY taking up an intersection of Pike and Broadway, spanning a two block radius. We look at eachother, and without barely saying a word we get up to go there. That was something we needed to attend.
So we show up to the interesection and we are greeted by a throng of police, all of whom are just straigt chillin'. No joke. Seems as though they were initially ready for a riot, but because McCain isn't president everyone was pretty happy.
There was music playing because the nightclub Neighbors has pulled out their sound system and put it on the roof. Apparently right before we showed up there was a group version of the national anthem, but for the rest of the night we all just partied. The police were there hanging out, having conversations and smiling like they would jump in and join the party if they could. They didn't bust the underage drinking or the obvious drug use that was going on, or call down the people who were so happy that they had climbed up lightpoles waving flags and Obama signs, nor did they stop the people who were passing around the decapatated Palin cut out. For once the police and the riot-ers (if you can call them that) were on the same side. Everyone was just happy. It was awesome.
We hung out there for a while, and helped start a giant conga line that was shouting "Conga for Omaba" as we swayed through the crowd. Everyone was high-fiving everyone else, giving hugs, passing rounds of beer and hits of pot. There were students like me that I recognized from school, up to middle aged people, some homeless guys hanging out.... all in all we were just there, together - sharing this historical occasion, hoping that the 'we did it' euphoria would last longer then the night or the highs or the fireworks. Did I mention the fireworks? Oh yeah, there were fireworks. Lots of 'em.
Last night it was the closest to the sixties my generation will probably ever get, and I am so happy that I could be there for it. This is a story that I will tell my grandchildren, about how the night Barak Obama was elected President I went to a giant party spaning a two block radius on Capital Hill, at the intersection of Pike and Broadway, were everyone was so happy that even the police joined in. A night where we all came together, no arrests were made and no one was hurt. We were all just together as a common people celebrating the fact that change has come, shouting "yes we can" at the top of our lungs until our voices went horse and staying out in the bitter cold, splitting a beer between four friends that someone we don't know gave us, hugging and high-fives. Because even though I know the electoral college made the choice, I still can't shake the euphoric sensation that we did it. Call those the ideals of a young girl, but last night made me almost proud to say I'm an American, or at least a little less embarrassed by it. Man, I can't wait to try protesting.
Only in Seattle can a party break out on the streets over a Presidental canidate, but afterwards people stayed to help clean up. Today on my way to work there was not a beer bottle on the ground, everything was all on the sides of the road in neat little garbage bags, with sharpie saying "Paper" "Plastic" "Glass" "Trash". Amazing, simpley amazing.
My boss and I talked about everything at work, and she yelled at me for not calling to tell her about the giant party and that if I had she would have brought more beer. I love my boss, she's the shit. Its hard for me not to love everyone right now. I'm so happy. One thing that was a buzz kill though, my district manager (the bitch one) has decided to take Obama's "yes we can" and adopt it to motivate her retail sellers, which bothers me for a number of reasons (one of which being Obama's slogan represents change from very serious issues and she is reducing it to retail), but if she mentions it to me at all I've decided to just tell her to shove it. I'll only be working there for a little while longer anyways :)
Its odd, I've hated the government for so long. I don't know how to feel about it now. I am so happy, but still feel so cautious. At least Sarah Palin isn't in office, right?
And now when I move to France for my exchange program I don't have to say I am Canadian.

Happy Day After Election Day Folks :D