Apathy to Hope

It took about a day to let the enormity of it sink in, but I think I need to write about what Tuesday night felt like.  I went for a run Tuesday evening and I was thinking to myself about how glad I was that the election was over.  As I ran I considered all the apathy I had towards the political process and voting in general.  I think that in my limited perception (assuming I became aware it around 12 or 13 years ago) of the federal political arena I have seen only two elections and I have trouble saying that I have seen much good come of it all.  My apathy towards voting stems from not only the fact that I don't think it will matter because of where I live, but also because I question whether in so many years what positive change has our country made.  I wondered whether that makes me unpatriotic.  I wondered whether that made me a bad citizen.  Before the flaming starts let me say that I did vote regardless of my apathy.  I can't say I know why I voted though. 

 

However, then after my run I read a post on one of my favorite blogs.  Irrespective of what I feel I think I can certainly get behind the sentiment echoed in that post. 

 

Still later when President-Elect Obama was announced the winner I sat in shock.  I could not believe that it had actually happened.  The HyWy and I discussed the impact of what we were watching play out.  In the last 10 years our generation has seen two events (one good and one bad) that will forever shape American policy.  Another thing that occurred to me was that my concern is that President-Elect Obama will have to do and achieve so much during his term to be seen as more than just "the first African American president".  Don't get me wrong I think being the first African American president is a good thing in itself, but I don't want to see that define his presidency.  I think he has so much more potential. 

 

Sorry this post was a bit disjointed, but there was obviously a large range of thoughts I was trying to convey.