Judgement Day

On this election day, November 3rd of 2008, I am thinking about my sons
and daughters. Whether they are spawned from my own seed or not they
still belong to me, to us, as they are the product of our choices, of
our blood, of the world our individual decisions have contributed to.
This is one of those days when a man of color and the millions behind
him took their shot at toppling the tower of the old guard in the
hopes of beginning to bring this country up out of hell. This is the first revolution that has been televised.

I decided to go with my mother to get a picture of her at the polls.
I took a flick of the front page of todays Washington Post. I will
take pics of people. Even this blog is a document of the time and
place.

I am thinking about a night years from now when a child of mine comes
to find me in my office or living room, his/her hands clutching a textbook and a pad
filled with questions about what this day was like. And though my
vote went into the mail I want to be able to say that I was out there, that I could feel the energy in the streets.

My own eyes watered as I listened to black people sob with joy on the radio for having making this the first time they've ever voted in their lives. I've seen the "I Voted" sticker plaster on faces, pants legs and lapels all throughout this city. For the first time since the Million Man March, I really feel like we're all willing to do out part and our duty in the face of the continued depravity brought about by the current regime. This is a new beginning for all of us, a chance for that child of mine to live in a world that might be a little more free from mediocrity and corruption.

I've tried to be zen about this election, resting in a place where I
was ready for it to go either way. I secluded myself from the swelling masses of souls giving their faith to this 24 hours. I was afraid of what I might do if we didn't prevail. But being out in the ether of my hometown, the always hopeful boy
within me broke through the surface. I , like so many of us , have
been renewed through this continuing journey. My kids are already proud of me, just for being here. Out.