Shiredancer's Dreams

Wow, wasn't Tuesday night the most amazing night ever (in the history of politics in our lifetime, that is)? Or one of the best, anyway. YES, WE CAN! My heart is full to the brim with hope.

Here in California it was made bittersweet by the passage of Prop. 8, however. I'm heartsick that my supposedly liberal, open-minded state has passed a change to the *state constitution* to incorporate discrimination into it. It's... it's just... it's so heartbreaking. But petitions and appeals will follow, and in my heart I believe that if the time's not now, it will be, and in my lifetime too. It was so close, and at least that's heartening, to know how much closer it came than the last time it was on the ballot (2004, I think?).

Hmmm, that's a lot of heart going into this post.

I was nervous about long lines and possibly not getting in to vote in time (although really, in my large town/small city, that's probably not going to be a problem) so went right in after dropping Kidlet off at school. Whew! All done! And it felt so good to vote today. The excitement is electrifying. Everybody, everywhere, is aware of how important this election is. Well, historical too, no matter the presidential outcome.

It's important for so many reasons though, and I know I'm not the only one with a sense of a great deal of fate hanging in the balance. I've talked to so many people who feel the same way. It's more than the national politics, too -- there are some huge issues on the California ballot this time.

Fortunately it sounds like the turnout is great and excitement is high. Here at work I'm not tuned in to minute-by-minute updates so I haven't heard if there are any significant problems going on anywhere, although I expect that with such high turnout there will be cases of running out of ballots (and if I can anticipate that, why can't the elections offices across the country? Shouldn't happen...).

Now it's going to be a long and unnerving day, waiting for the results. I'm on pins and needles -- it's going to be a bad day for getting work done, for sure! I don't know whether it's going to be decided by the time our polls close, or too close to call -- but I guess I'm going to play it by ear to decide how late I'm staying up tonight. Even if the presidential election gets sorted out early ('cause me, the eternal optimist, I'm hoping for a landslide), I won't rest until I know the results of some of the propositions near and dear to my heart.

This election brought a lot of personal firsts: the first time I've ever bothered with watching all the debates, the first time I've really paid attention to the convention speeches, the first time I've contributed money to not only my presidential candidate but to one of my most-cherished causes. No wonder I feel so invested in the outcome. But oy, the negativity! I will be so glad to not hear any more of those campaign ads, blecch.

Okay, now we just hold on until tonight. Here's hoping! *clinks figurative glass, since I'm at work*