BIG AND SMALL, YOU CANNOT MAKE UP THIS UP
Many of us, yours truly included, have gotten angry for all kinds of reasons during this campaign, and, in fairness, much of that anger emanated from the passion we share for all things political. Still, throughout this campaign, I have to say that I saw a different thing going on, something devoid of anger but not in the least devoid of passion.
Last night, my eighteen year-old son Todd was awarded a ticket which allowed him to get pretty close to President-Elect Obama in Grant Park. He worked hard, beginning in the primaries, to help elect Obama and this was his prize. He had spent the entire day knocking on doors in Indianapolis, having been bused down from Chicago the night before with a bunch of people he had never met. At 11:00 eastern, my phone rang and it was Todd, and he said, "Dad. . .can you believe it?" I, of course, got all choked up (even though, damn it, I really am a teamster lawayer :)). I was kvelling as I never have before (you do yiddish up there Quinn?). I told Todd how proud I was of him and what a truly great and historic day it was. He said to me "Dad, I'm not getting any sleep tonight, it's time to party, I have no charge left in my cell phone, but I just wanted to call you". And we told each other, as we always do, that we love each other, and Todd hung up and I guess he got to watch history unfold in a front-row seat.
My friends, at both the micro and macro levels, you cannot make up what took place last night, and I wouldn't trade what happened for anything in the world. None of us knows what the future holds for the Obama Administration. But special things happened last night, something big that we all can share, and lots of little things too--certainly for me, and hopefully for many of you too, with friends and family and even with people we hardly know.
May G-d bless you all, may the people of the United States and the people of all the nations of the world be blessed, and may G-d bless President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama. May President-Elect Obama make us proud and, even more importantly I submit, may we all find the strength and conviction to do our part to help him make us proud. Cheers to all of you my friends.
Bruce
Damnit Bruce. Just when I thought I was regaining control over my tear ducts.
November 5, 2008 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hilary, It's payback for your little story about your son yesterday. :)
November 5, 2008 10:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very cool. Thank you for sharing, Bruce.
November 5, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
AD, Nice work in Northern Va. Give yourself a pat on the back.
November 5, 2008 10:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, you're allowed once in a while, but that's enough now, better go and get some chicken soup to clear up that verklemptitude in the drainage there. After all, you're the Dad and a teamster lawyer, you don't get to be the kid. And on this site, not only do you not get to be the kid, but you have to try to live up to that avatar. :-)
November 5, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
P.S. Imbd.com is my friend:
Well, Pa, a woman can change better'n a man. A man lives sorta - well, in jerks. Baby's born or somebody dies, and that's a jerk. He gets a farm or loses it, and that's a jerk. With a woman, it's all in one flow, like a stream - little eddies and waterfalls - but the river, it goes right on. Woman looks at it thata way.
:-)
November 5, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Beautiful reminder, AA, thanks.
November 5, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey AA, don't tell anyone but I tend to shed a tear over those old Bell Telephone commercials. And Bambi? Fuggetaboudit.
November 5, 2008 10:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wonderfully written Bruce. It's a beautiful beginning for this generation, I hope they make the most of it.
November 5, 2008 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Bev. Here's to your family. We were never swept up in the whole movement or whatever, but I know you must feel as fulfilled and hopeful as I do right now. Hope all is well with your son. Is he back in Iraq now, or when is he returning?
November 5, 2008 10:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Bruce. I think we'll find - both for good & ill - that something rather Mysterious DID happen last night. And I suspect it's going to be hard for some of us to wrap our heads around that larger cultural current that runs beyond our daily "policy & interest" analysis/work. But cultural change, healing, growth, transformation - whatever - is just damned hard to pin down with our usual social science tools.
Nonetheless, I'm hoping that what people saw/felt last night was powerful enough to help guide them on WHEN to push, when to pull, when to wait - even though their "analyzers" act in a more mechanical manner. Perhaps a bit like how one has to learn to parent?
Yiddish? Sadly, my ear for languages isn't what it was. I'm having a hell of a time catching the difference between "schnozz" and "schlong," (which, needless to say, has caused me some slight social turmoil.) And what is it with the "sch's"?Schlub, schmaltz, schmo, schmuck, schnook. Some pattern here?
Besides, my Mum always used to say I didn't need to learn French because I was already fluently trilingual: English, Obscenity AND Profanity. Limited, but they've gotten me this far.
November 5, 2008 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
On your next visit to the Big Apple quinn, I will not only buy you drinks, I will give you some yiddish lessons as well. You will certainly know that there is a difference between a nose and a, well you know! lol
November 5, 2008 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't worry about your labor cred, Bruce. I was swapping e-day stories this morning with an IBEW guy and his eyes welled up while he was telling his. It was just that kind of moment.
November 5, 2008 7:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Orlando,
I wrote about you the other day when I found out Todd was heading to Indianapolis. Quinn said you didn't need any help, but I figured my Jewish kid from New Yawk couldn't hoit in the fabulous act of turning the Hoosier state blue. I got to know every county in Indiana last night!
November 5, 2008 10:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bruce, you're a mensch.
November 5, 2008 7:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
What? I'd say he's a decent, upright, mature, and responsible person..
November 5, 2008 8:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aww, chickens**t. :)
November 5, 2008 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ooopsie, sorry about that. We like to refer to them as 'droppings. ' I'll get out the broom....
=D
November 5, 2008 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
RTBG:
You are a pisser. I laughed out loud literally about a week or so ago during my li'l self-imposed exiles when I read one of your comments. Keep posting. You rock.
November 5, 2008 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bruce,
It was indeed a good evening last night, but in CA, the day broke with the passage of Prop 8. As I blogged, the very same folks who are used to being abused as a minority, were no better in their voting than the majority in helping to strip away some gay rights (all ethnic groups supported passage of this bill).
I guess you will have some job security. Sadly.
The work goes on, my friend!
November 5, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
In my field, ironically, job security isn't always a good thing. CT, thank you for your timely post on Prop. 8; it's an issue that we "progressives" are going to have to come to grips with. Keep it in the sunshine CT.
November 5, 2008 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bruce, what an amazing experience for your son and he so earned it. Glad that you got to share in that moment.
November 5, 2008 8:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
dijamo:
We have to get together again and discuss the little magical mystery tour we've been on the past few months. So glad to have you around watching my back when I get a li'l, shall we say, incorrigible? I'm glad you got to meet Todd at the TPM thingie in July; I gotta say that he really is a good kid. Seriously, you wouldn't recognize Todd's dad when I was his age. Some might say I was a bit out of control, and some might say I waw out of my mind! :)
November 5, 2008 10:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just a sample of Obama campaign organization. Before I went to bed last night I found an email:
subject: How this happened.
Mari --
I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.
We just made history.
And I don't want you to forget how we did it.
You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.
I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.
We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.
But I want to be very clear about one thing...
All of this happened because of you.
Thank you,
Barack
How's that for class?!
I'm sure he sent out millions, and my contribution was very small. Made me feel good, anyway.
November 5, 2008 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for sharing Mari. President-Elect Obama is, indeed, a class act. You deserve to feel good, really good. Savor it.
November 5, 2008 10:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oy, some day I will learn to edit! The title? Embarassing.
November 5, 2008 10:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like it. You were really up when you wrote it. ;-)
Besides, Dems especially deserve to feel up right now. Technically there is a D-IL after Barack Obama's name. Let's cherish this moment for as long as possible.
November 5, 2008 10:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great post! I had a similar experience, except more sons; I hadn't started paying much attention to the primary last winter until my 28 year old sent me the first will.i.am video, then I started reading about Obama. All my boys became deeply involved in the campaign and so did I, to the point of alienating most of my friends who were rooting for Hillary in the primary.
On Tuesday my 19 year old and I marched around all day knocking on doors-I think something like a million doors got knocked on in Allegheny County, PA! We had to use a flashlight after dark and he began to get impatient with me: "No, Mom, they already voted! The next house!" Every house got three passes.
It was all worth it when I saw how big he won in our state, even in some of those middle counties. The organizers and volunteers in Pennsylvania were amazing!
November 6, 2008 8:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for for sharing that Becky. Sounds like your sons were taught well. Best, Bruce
November 6, 2008 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Pictures! You promised us pictures. ;) Mazel tov to Todd.
November 6, 2008 8:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks G. You'll see 'em when I do. I'll tell him the guy from the TPM bash is nudging him too. :) Happy B'day again.
November 6, 2008 9:44 AM | Reply | Permalink