It's Over!

I've been silent for a long while. I guess that the excessive political buzz just made it implausible for me to add my voice to the muddle. But, it's over now and the election has been decided (and thankfully, NOT by "the Decider") and the rhetoric has shifted from one cacophony to another.

This was a momentous election for me. Not just because of the candidates that were available, not just because of the condition of the economy or the disquiet in the world. It was momentous to me personally because it was the first time that I had been afforded the right to vote for the leader of our country. By virtue of having lived my entire adult life in Puerto Rico where there is no electoral college, I had never been able to execute the right to vote; a right which I cherish immensely.

Texas offers early voting which I took advantage of and then I felt more like a spectator than a participant since all the dialogue seemed to be directed at the undecided. I was not an undecided...I cast my vote with tears in my eyes. I was so excited about this exceptional culmination of a life's dream that I had to share it with everyone at the polling station. They were very excited for me and assumed that since it was my first time and I qualify for "little old lady" they needed to give me a screen by screen tour of the voting process. And that was OK. I reveled in the ease of voting and assumed that the fact that I was the only person voting at that particular moment was simply a function of the prolonged availability of the polling station.

Once I had cast my vote and left the building I was still smiling and feeling elated with the experience. I have saved my "I voted" sticker and the little "take a number" tab I was assigned. It's just a couple of more things for my poor husband to sigh over as he wishes that someday I will learn to throw things out!

So now the first African American president has been elected! I would have preferred to vote for Hillary, to tell the truth. I think there is a troubling lack of explicit experience and a disconnect between Obama's ability to motivate and inspire and his track record on producing results based on his idealism. But he earned my vote on a message of Hope and I certainly hope that he will be able to continue to motivate the people of our country and the world. I hope that his vision will change the negative way so many see the United States; I hope that his abilities will be up to the task of embuing our own people with the will to correct the errors of greed, selfishness and laziness that have contributed to the erosion of our national pride and the soul of liberty that guided so many hopefuls to found our great nation.

Think about the one common denominator resting in our history of development as a nation. It is HOPE. When the original colonists braved the fears of a trans atlantic crossing in small, leaky, wooden boats they were HOPING for a better life. When millions of European immigrants risked their lives and dreams to come to a new land, they HOPED for a better life. When masses of people carted up their belongings into covered wagons they HOPED for a better life. Today, as millions of new immigrants pour across our unprotected borders, they HOPE for a better life.

We are a nation founded on the basic principle of hope. Everyday we hope for decent weather, for an improved economy, for good health, for opportunity, for safety, for joy and for success. So far, hope has worked pretty well for us. I decided to put my faith in hope and I am glad I did.

Of course, that doesn't mean I have stopped praying or asking God to guide Obama!