Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A few fond memories of 2008

Just a few hours left of 2008 - an awful year for many. Not so bad for me. Here's what I want to remember:

Laney calling and saying,"Go Google The Endeavor Talent Agency in Beverly Hills."
"Why?" I asked her.
"Because they now represent the movie rights to your book!"


Driving and smoking (the RV, not us!) and breaking down and LAUGHING cross country (well, okay, we only made it as far as Niagara Falls, but you get the idea) in that damn bio-diesel RV!

The night we sat around the campfire and Sierra and Jeremiah discovered they sometimes had the same dream!

Finally giving in to the hope that Barack Obama could get elected and that maybe, just maybe, he could help turn our country around.

Getting together with the group I went into the Peace Corps with - 20 years after we went to Ecuador. And having a really great time.

That incredible day, Nov. 4, 2008, as I sat watching polls in Keene, NH and people lined up, excited about voting. They were young - never having voted before. The came in old - some having admitted to never voting before or at least not in a very, very long time. They came on crutches. They came with arms in slings. They came in wheelchairs, one having recently had a stroke, several having to be assisted in the voting booth. But damn, these people would not be stopped from voting. They were mostly white in rural New Hampshire - and I know that in other parts of the country, people of color came out in droves. But this was the amazing and very telling thing to me. Barack Obama didn't just speak to people of color. He spoke to and mobilized and excited a whole lot of Americans - of every race, creed and color - who hadn't been excited about politics in a very long time. And though his victory is certainly a milestone and a victory for African Americans, it is also a milestone and a victory for All Americans.

The wonderful feeling I woke up with on November 5th to know that I now lived in a country where the best person for the job - regardless of race - can be President. And believing that soon it will be true for women as well!

But perhaps my favorite memory of all might be the Iraqi reporter who flung his shoes at Bush. Damn, he deserved it! Anyone know what happened to him? Ya think President Obama can pardon him?

I'll keep you posted,
Eve

2 comments:

  1. Well, the shoe thrower is going on trial for "shoeacide", and intent to forcefully insert "sole" into the "souless". If convicted he will spend the rest of his life walking barefoot on a field of glory. Anyway, I would love to see this trial on Court TV.

    All other things considered...2009 has got to be better.

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  2. Good lord woman, 11 days between blog posts and counting? You're losing your core audience. Make with a snappy posting, chop-chop.

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