I’ve been more than a little lax with blogging regularly lately.  My motivations have been focused elsewhere, I suppose.

I have been in central Florida since the 21st, spending Christmas with my best friend of 16 years and his family - which includes, quite literally, a gaggle of nieces and nephews.  He pretty much cooked a Christmas dinner for 20 on his own.  I admire him for that.

I think I’ve managed to gain 10lbs since Thanksgiving.  I have little to no willpower when it comes to good holiday food.  I guess it’s a good thing I’ve lost so much weight over the past several months that the ten pounds isn’t all that noticeable.  I might be deluding myself, though. :p

Before heading back to DC, I’ll be making a “pit stop” in the Memphis area to ring in the new year.  I’m really looking forward to that. :D

I hope everyone had a great holiday and I wish y’all much happiness for the new year!

Current Mood: Lethargic

On my walk home last night, I noticed a woman driving a car with a vanity license plate.  Nothing surprising there, but it was her choice of what to have on said vanity plate that shocked me.

Ms Poo

If “Pooh” was taken, I really wouldn’t have gone with what was available in this case.

Also, a bit earlier on the same walk, I passed a car with a bumper sticker that read: African Americans for Obama.

I’ve also seen Women for Obama and Veterans for Obama leading up to his election.  I think it’s great that certain groups proudly expressed their support.  I just have to wonder what kind of controversy White People for Obama would have caused…

Current Mood: Hungry

Four days after this country chose Barack Obama as its President, I am still somewhat speechless. It’s still sinking in, I guess. I have watched Obama’s acceptance speech from Chicago at least three times and each time I have cried. I am proud to call myself an American again for the first time in eight years.

A co-worker of mine wrote the email below and shared it with our organization’s staff… an organization that, while non-partisan and not able to show support for any one candidate, was riding on an Obama victory for many reasons.

He captured my feelings perfectly, so I’ll share them with you:

The Real Winners

Who are the real winners of yesterday’s election? Not Democrats. Not liberals. Not progressives. But the dreamers. Those who’ve been shot down, shunned or told to shut up because you dare to think you can when others say you can’t.

In a short amount of years, we watched an organizer become a lawyer, a lawyer become a State Senator, a State Senator become a U.S. Senator, and a U.S. Senator become the first black President of the United States.

All of this on a message of hope, dreams and change. Remember, his story was an “unlikely” one. A modern day Seabiscuit. He was thought to be too small, too inexperienced. But people pulled for him. They saw bits and pieces of themselves in him. In return, he brought the nation (and the world) to a new high when we were all at a low.

Today we walk a little taller. Smile a little brighter. Believe a little stronger. Doubt loss. Hope won. There will be challenges and disappointments going forward. It’s the human way of life. But the world is a different place this morning. It’s okay to dream again.

By Dushaw Hockett
Center for Community Change
November 5, 2008

Yes, we can… and, yes, we did! I look forward to the long overdue changes this country and its people deserve.

Current Mood: Calm/Relaxed & Thoughtful