Historic, Exciting, Emotional

Hey, A,

You beat me to it: bringing up this exciting, historic day. This morning, with my extra time, instead of staying in bed, I woke up and watched msnbc. On my way to school I passed a polling place and welled up. I could hardly talk about it today with colleagues without tearing up again, and could hardly wait to get out of my dreadful workshops to go "Barack the vote." Need I tell you I am not leaving my living room or the sound of the TV tonight?

I can't even begin to imagine what today must feel like for African Americans, for the black people in my life--like my friends, C, J, S; my boyfriend, W. Or their parents, who do remember the segregation and separate water fountains, who lived through the Civil Rights movement. One of the journalists I heard this morning talked of a friend of his, who returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam on the day Martin Luther King was shot, landed at Logan Int'l in Boston in his formal uniform, wearing his purple heart, and could not get a white cabbie to bring him home to Roxbury. I sure hope that man is alive today and celebrating this day in his heart.

I thought maybe, God willing, I'll play hooky on January 20 and host an inaugural brunch. For tonight, I will be celebrating here on my own.

Call if you feel like it.

Love you, Barb

PS I did get your email and replied--twice. The first response didn't go through, and I got a message saying that, so I repeated it. But I guess you didn't get that one either. I remember what I said, but I'll wait to tell you that quickly via phone. I will say that I'm glad he's safe and sound, and that I hope you know I am frustrated both with and for you.

PPS I hope you know I would have called if I didn't know. I would have lost sleep...