A New Era

I am late with posting about the election, but here I am.

I'm generally political in the off-and-on kind of way. When I feel like it. When it matters to me. When I'm touched, compelled, inspired.

For some reason, this election did not move me in the way that it moved others. Not because I cannot understand the significance of this election. Oh, no, I get that - big time. Message is loud and clear. And it's not because I don't care about who is president - it's definitely an important job. But... a lot of my "apathy", for lack of a better word, is because of the way I was raised. My parents grew up in a time when questioning the authority could get you into trouble (1950's - 70's China) and if you had any opinions about the government and the way that things were, you kept them to yourself. My parents, based on snippets of conversations overheard, are still somewhat distrustful of government officials and fear the repercussions of going against the government.

My family, in general, do not express emotions or feelings or any such things of an intimate nature. I suppose I still fight through that every day. One moment I am very stubborn and refuse to shut up about voicing my politics; another moment I would rather ignore what is going on.

While I may not cry tears of joy, or jump around the street in exaltation, quietly, inside my mind, I see the beauty of millions of voters coming out to voice their politics.

Oh, if only you could be there for the celebrations on my college campus! Oh, if only I could've been there! At least a thousand people paraded through the street that night, whooping and hollering, and raising a large flag. People on their cars. Honks and a peaceful, spontaneous march through the campus. Apparently, quite a bunch of them marched up to the chancellor's house at the north end of campus and he came out and made a little speech right then and there, alongside his wife. What a night.

I am only sad that I could not have been there for that momentous occasion. I was there physically watching the news like everyone else and quietly I was excited to know that my choice for president was that of many others as well, but spiritually and emotionally I could not get myself to be there - my heart did not connect with the hearts of others... and so, after years of political apathy, I'm still working on it.

Today is a new era for our country. (I'm still a little jaded by the last few years, but, maybe, just maybe, there's a tiny glimmer of hope).