Day 57 (again): Blog course correction - I'm writing this entry after President Obama's appearance on the Jay Leno show on March 19. Mr. Leno asked if this was President Obama's 59th day in office to which the President replied that it was. I had been counting days in office from the day AFTER the Inauguration. Apparently the official count of the 100 days begins on Inauguration Day itself, so we need to adjust one day forward. Therefore, I'm identifying this entry which refers to March 17th, as day 57. Here's hoping my total blog fan base (of approximately one person) can adjust.
Day 57 - March 17, 2009
Having courageously campaigned for Barack Obama in the O.C. (one of the most Republican counties in the entire nation), my husband and I were extremely excited to attempt to be part of the town hall meeting that was to take place at the Orange County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, March 18th at 4:00 pm. We had heard that people were already getting in line on
Monday night, the 16th and tenting out so they'd be sure to snag the tickets that would be offered at 9 am on Tuesday the 17th for the appearance on Wednesday the 18th! We thought that staying overnight was probably not necessary. Oops!
We arrived at the fairgrounds before 8 am on Wednesday, March 17, hoping against hope that it wouldn't be too late to still get tickets. The accompanying pictures don't do justice in portraying the actual number of
people who were in line by the time we got there, but it was an impressive sight. It was a respectful line of quiet and soft-spoken people. At first I didn't want to talk to anyone. To be honest, I was embarrassed. My husband having gone ahead to find a place for us in line, opened up the folding chair he had dragged along. As I walked toward him after retrieving out forgotten camera in the car, he almost shouted to me from what seemed like 25 yards away, "Here, Hon, come sit on the chair." Now, I'm what you might call an introverted extrovert or an extroverted introvert (if you can capture a picture of that combination), and thus, I wanted to melt into the asphalt that surrounded us. I just nodded and fell in line behind him in silence.
But my embarrassment wasn't the only reason I didn't want to talk while waiting in that line. I was guessing that 99% of the people waiting that day had most likely, like my husband and myself, enthusiastically supported the election of Barack Obama. It struck me, however, that in spite of the thread of unity that must be woven through this line of strangers, we each had every individual reasons for our support of the President. I wasn't sure I wanted this historic moment to be shattered by hearing others' reasons for being there; nor did I want to risk shattering their moment by my quirky left of left views on politics. So although my husband was striking up a conversation with two gentlemen ahead of us, I didn't join in. Eventually, as the line moved forward so did I, and like little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest, I changed my attitude, warmed up, and started talking. And I'm glad I did. One person we chatted with was a young French man who owns several restaurants in Orange County. The other gentleman was a software engineer like my husband. I mentioned that Mike was laid off, and as usually happens these days, I felt embarrassed to have done so. We all gently shifted the conversation and continued our mutual concern of whether or not there'd be tickets for us.
As it drew closer to 9 am, the time that the tickets would be released, a representative from the fairgrounds came by and informed us that from the count, it seemed that the people as far back as we were in line, would be out of luck. A couple walking by at that point said, "Have faith. They'll do something to get us tickets." So we all stayed.
As it became more and more evident that we would not be included in the ticketed group, I was wishing I could leave the fairgrounds with at least somethingby which to remember this historic moment. If I had been brave enough, I would have quickly gone up and down the line, interviewing as many people as I could to have something interesting for my blog. As it was, I asked only the two gentlemen with whom we had already been chatting. I told them I was blogging our first 100 days of being laid-off paralleling President Obama's first 100 days and said I needed a quote from someone standing in line. I was glad I asked because each gentlemen offered a quote and each quote was poignant and meaningful. I didn't need to ask 100 people in line why they were there; the two quotes I received said it all. The software engineer told me he was there because had never seen a President "live" before and "President Obama is exciting because of his energy and his ability to inspire people." He mentioned feeling the same way about this President as he had about President Kennedy.
The young French man was thoughtfully silent after I initially asked the question. I surmised he was struggling to articulate his ideas in English as clearly as he could in French, so I suggested that he "just think of what you want to say in French and then translate it in English." He told me that was what he was doing and replied, "I'm here because...because I want to see that the earth is blue and not red. (Do you know what I mean? I nodded and he continued.) I want to see the earth as it is seen from space." I understood what he meant and the multiple meanings of the metaphor he had spontaneously created.
I dawned on me that I shouldn't have been afraid that day that my moment of history would be spoiled if I heard reasons different from my own for believing in President Obama. After I heard the words from the men standing in line with us, I realized, to paraphrase a quote I once heard, "It is the little things in life wherein we differ; in the big things, we are all at one." As we walked back to the parking lot with the others who wouldn't get tickets, past the people who were packing up their tents getting ready to receive their tickets, I felt the connection we all shared.
Day 57 - March 17, 2009
Having courageously campaigned for Barack Obama in the O.C. (one of the most Republican counties in the entire nation), my husband and I were extremely excited to attempt to be part of the town hall meeting that was to take place at the Orange County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, March 18th at 4:00 pm. We had heard that people were already getting in line on
Monday night, the 16th and tenting out so they'd be sure to snag the tickets that would be offered at 9 am on Tuesday the 17th for the appearance on Wednesday the 18th! We thought that staying overnight was probably not necessary. Oops!
We arrived at the fairgrounds before 8 am on Wednesday, March 17, hoping against hope that it wouldn't be too late to still get tickets. The accompanying pictures don't do justice in portraying the actual number of
people who were in line by the time we got there, but it was an impressive sight. It was a respectful line of quiet and soft-spoken people. At first I didn't want to talk to anyone. To be honest, I was embarrassed. My husband having gone ahead to find a place for us in line, opened up the folding chair he had dragged along. As I walked toward him after retrieving out forgotten camera in the car, he almost shouted to me from what seemed like 25 yards away, "Here, Hon, come sit on the chair." Now, I'm what you might call an introverted extrovert or an extroverted introvert (if you can capture a picture of that combination), and thus, I wanted to melt into the asphalt that surrounded us. I just nodded and fell in line behind him in silence.
But my embarrassment wasn't the only reason I didn't want to talk while waiting in that line. I was guessing that 99% of the people waiting that day had most likely, like my husband and myself, enthusiastically supported the election of Barack Obama. It struck me, however, that in spite of the thread of unity that must be woven through this line of strangers, we each had every individual reasons for our support of the President. I wasn't sure I wanted this historic moment to be shattered by hearing others' reasons for being there; nor did I want to risk shattering their moment by my quirky left of left views on politics. So although my husband was striking up a conversation with two gentlemen ahead of us, I didn't join in. Eventually, as the line moved forward so did I, and like little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest, I changed my attitude, warmed up, and started talking. And I'm glad I did. One person we chatted with was a young French man who owns several restaurants in Orange County. The other gentleman was a software engineer like my husband. I mentioned that Mike was laid off, and as usually happens these days, I felt embarrassed to have done so. We all gently shifted the conversation and continued our mutual concern of whether or not there'd be tickets for us.
As it drew closer to 9 am, the time that the tickets would be released, a representative from the fairgrounds came by and informed us that from the count, it seemed that the people as far back as we were in line, would be out of luck. A couple walking by at that point said, "Have faith. They'll do something to get us tickets." So we all stayed.
As it became more and more evident that we would not be included in the ticketed group, I was wishing I could leave the fairgrounds with at least somethingby which to remember this historic moment. If I had been brave enough, I would have quickly gone up and down the line, interviewing as many people as I could to have something interesting for my blog. As it was, I asked only the two gentlemen with whom we had already been chatting. I told them I was blogging our first 100 days of being laid-off paralleling President Obama's first 100 days and said I needed a quote from someone standing in line. I was glad I asked because each gentlemen offered a quote and each quote was poignant and meaningful. I didn't need to ask 100 people in line why they were there; the two quotes I received said it all. The software engineer told me he was there because had never seen a President "live" before and "President Obama is exciting because of his energy and his ability to inspire people." He mentioned feeling the same way about this President as he had about President Kennedy.
The young French man was thoughtfully silent after I initially asked the question. I surmised he was struggling to articulate his ideas in English as clearly as he could in French, so I suggested that he "just think of what you want to say in French and then translate it in English." He told me that was what he was doing and replied, "I'm here because...because I want to see that the earth is blue and not red. (Do you know what I mean? I nodded and he continued.) I want to see the earth as it is seen from space." I understood what he meant and the multiple meanings of the metaphor he had spontaneously created.
I dawned on me that I shouldn't have been afraid that day that my moment of history would be spoiled if I heard reasons different from my own for believing in President Obama. After I heard the words from the men standing in line with us, I realized, to paraphrase a quote I once heard, "It is the little things in life wherein we differ; in the big things, we are all at one." As we walked back to the parking lot with the others who wouldn't get tickets, past the people who were packing up their tents getting ready to receive their tickets, I felt the connection we all shared.
