Last night I was glued to the TV set watching the election results, listening to the political chat, and eagerly awaiting the final announcement that Barack Obama had won. I thought about all those Americans who waited hours in line to cast their vote with the hope that it truly mattered. I cried as a watched three generations of an African American family talking about how much the election meant to them. The eldest member could barely speak through her emotional tears of pride and joy, and her voting grandson quietly stated that his candidate has made him strive to do better with his own life. I thought about the economic meltdown that was able to wake up a nation to the fact that political thieves had just about bankrupted the nation and a radical change was needed ( talk about a silver lining!). I remembered the Chicago riots that occurred after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. and thought how fitting that 40 years later this would be the city to welcome the first African American President.. the "dream" was truly coming true for so many. When I watched the crowds assemble at Grant Park I marveled at the diversity of the crowd. It was truly a proud American melting pot of people of all ages who were side by side, waving flags, laughing, crying, singing, cheering and sharing the joy of the slogan YES WE CAN! I couldn't help but think of that hopeful song of the 60's sung by The Fifth Dimension, whose lyrics rang out in my head :
"Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation"...
And I thought with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.. yes indeed, the Age of Aquarius has arrived!
