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Inspiring Words on an Inspiring Day
A collection of inspired and inspiring blog posts to preserve forever the power of this great day.
Somi’s new mornings and the audacity of hope
FitwithAndrea’s Drunk With Happiness
Chrissey on Hope
Spice with Tys posted Obama’s Victory Speech here. Thank you.
Rob Kall at the Huffington Post – The World Breathes a Sigh of Relief
Our Future is Bright
Jubilant this morning, I’m feeling generous, even with the bitter naysayers trying to rain on this brilliant moment in our country’s history.
I thought fitwithandrea said it well. She wrote:
Message to the other side: Stop the hate and appreciate the awesomeness of this historical moment. And after deep soul-searching, please join us and let’s work together. Barack will need all of us to support him in finding common sense solutions to the enormous problems we are facing.
It’s time to come together as a nation and remember what makes us great. Some of us have been disheartened, others hypnotized, by the last eight years. We have seen a proud nation deteriorate into a cynical, angry, selfish place.
It’s time to put all that acid aside and look to the future. It’s time to rejoice in being United.
This is a proud moment for our country. And a happy moment for the world. Let’s sit in awe of what has been accomplished.
The first president my four-year-old daughter remembers will be President Obama. Wow. That is awesome in the true sense of the word. To these children, the backlash fear and racism we’re dealing with now will seem silly and oh-so old-fashioned. They are growing up in a different, truly multi-cultural country.
The face of America is changing and that is good. This new world is going to be more inclusive. And that is good. My daughter refers to all doctors as “she” because that’s all she knows. And now, when she hears President she will think Obama. It’s amazing to me that someday I will have to explain to her that this was a momentous occasion. Because in her mind, it will always have been possible. And that is the world I want her to know.
Yes We Can – And We Did!
WTG America! Congratulations to us all and Congratulations to the Obama Family.
I am grateful to be here to witness this historic event and the coming of a new era in America.
Praise Jah!
Hawks and Bees and Gators, Oh My
We checked out a new park today, Edward Medard Park, not 15 minutes from our house. The sun shone gloriously over the expanse of still water. A hawk circling overhead greeted us, and all kinds of herons, a sandhill crane, grackles, a jurassic pelican, and a few anhingas roosted in a large thatch alongside the bridge across the waterway. A breeze rippled the water and made the heat of midday pleasant. We found an “observation” tower at the end of the bridge, but the trees had grown up so tall around it that there wasn’t much of a view. So we explored.
It was quiet. Naturally quiet. This quiet has been hard to find in the state, county and federal parks we’ve visited here in Florida. Usually a background roar of car and/or airboat engines distract from the peace one is supposed to encounter in nature. Today, I could hear cars, but they were far enough away that I was able to tune them out.
We walked into the woods, Corey taking the lead, of course, Marley in the middle, and Old Mom (me) bringing up the rear. We walked along unofficial trails carved out by small groups of visitors who’d come before us to smoke a joint, have a beer, harass alligators. Their presence was obvious by the occasional red plastic cups and cigarette butts they left behind.
The trail snaked around the high banks on the water’s edge. Marley maneuvered through the vines, brush and tree roots like an old pro. Every so often, we’d encounter an open descent toward the water. Corey would tell us to stay put while he slunk down to check for alligators. It was clear we were not alone.
Swooshsplash! I turned my head just in time to see a four- or five-foot gator crash ungracefully into the shimmering water. “Gator! Gator!” I yelled to Marley and Corey. It was the closest we’d been to a wild gator since moving to Florida, so our hearts beat with excitement.
On our way down the next bank, we heard another splash and caught sight of a second gator, about 8 feet long, with a head bigger than all of Marley. We were on top looking down on his glistening bumpy hide as he swam away.
We moved on along the rugged path to the next opening. Corey skulked down one opening, while Marley and I checked out another very close by. I was holding Marley’s hand when I came around a slight bend just in time to hear an enormous SPLASHHH! and see a huge 10 foot gator writhe and bend as he splashed into the water below.
It frightened all of us. Corey was closer to him than we were, but his view was partially blocked by trees, so he didn’t see the gator until he splashed into the water. Marley “cried two little tears” she said later, and moaned, “I’m afraaaaaid.” I picked her up onto my hip like the toddler that she was not so long ago and told her it was okay. We were safe.
Corey rushed back to our side of the bank and we all stood there, hearts pounding, eyes wide. Frightened but exhilarated.
We continued on this path, but I had become nervous. Corey went to check out another opening in the path. However, Marley and I were too close to the water for my comfort, too low. I know alligators cannot climb steep banks, so I felt relatively safe up there. Down here, I felt like, well, a sitting duck. I continued to hold Marley like a baby and I noticed she didn’t squirm to get down. The size of the last two gators reminded me that they could break her in one hearty chomp.
I encouraged Corey to stop exploring now and start heading back. He took one more excursion toward the water and when I asked him to come back, Marley patted my hand and in a peaceful little voice said, “Stay calm, Mama. Stay calm.” She was patting my hand like a little old lady! She’s such a trip.
Definitely a nature walk to remember.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius – Meme Assignment from Miss Mandilou
Got this Assignment from Miss Mandilou and couldn’t resist.
1 – Grab the book closest to you (with at least 123 pages)
2 – Turn to page 123.
3 – Find the 5th sentence.
4 – Post the next three sentences.
Here is my answer:
And that naturally I took away Toph’s gun privileges, and of course beat him within an inch of his life, so zealously that something snapped in his leg somewhere, a tendon maybe, and he fell to the floor, squealed like a pig, couldn’t get up, had to be take to the emergency room. That while we were at the hospital some doctor must have snitched or something, because a cop shows up and–
“What did you tell the cop about his leg?” Diedre wants to know.
“Oh, that was easy.”
–fromA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Video Your Vote!
I didn’t know we could do this, but I just learned on Lani’s Gentle Leftist Blog that PBS and YouTube are running a Video Your Vote campaign. What a great idea. A grassroots way to document this historic moment in our history.
This one was my favorite. Like Lani says, it restores faith in humanity.
My daughter’s only four years old, so it will be fantastic to have all our videos for her to see when she’s old enough to understand.
Families Come in All Shapes and Sizes – Vote NO on 2 in Florida
I don’t normally tell people how to vote, but I just have to throw this out there, on the slight chance that someone from Florida happens upon this blog. Please vote No on 2.
Amendment 2 doesn’t do anything to “protect” marriage, but it will remove important family protections for all unmarried families, gay and straight. Here are ten ways Amendment 2 would hurt families from Mean Queen’s Weblog.
I’ve seen so many Yes on 2 signs and bumper stickers around here and it surprises me that people are so willing, seemingly proud, to proclaim their bigotry. I just don’t get it. I don’t get any of the arguments against gay marriage.
If you are against gay marriage, please enlighten me. How does it “hurt” or “threaten” your family?
There are more divorces and adultery in the Bible Belt than anywhere else in the country. That is a cold, hard fact. So please don’t tell me that it’s because of the Bible. Just don’t.
Where is the logic? My husband says it’s simply a matter of people being afraid or uncomfortable about seeing same-sex couples holding hands and kissing in public and not wanting to have to explain that to their children. Could that be true?
If so, then I have a simple solution: Tell them it’s two people in love. See, I told you it was simple.
The fact of the matter is that this is a fight you cannot win. It’s called “Progress” and it’s happening whether you like it or not. I, for one, will not impede Progress by filling my child’s innocent mind with restrictive nonsense regarding who she can and cannot fall in love with. As the mother of a little girl in this day and age, her turning out gay does not even make my list of Things to Worry About. And neither should it worry you. The bottom line (heh) is that most gay people are born gay, so there’s nothing you can do to change it anyway.
And what consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home is none of your concern.
Why insist that EVERYONE live by your rules? Isn’t it difficult enough for you to live by your rules? Why take on the added burden of enforcing your rules on ALL OF SOCIETY? It just seems like a waste of time and energy.
Ok, rant done. Peace.
Obama on UNITED America from “Meaningful Distractions”
I saw this on Meaningful Distractions and wanted to preserve the video for my own selfish reasons, mostly to hear Sen. Obama’s inspirational orating over and over. I didn’t know how starved I was for an eloquent and intelligent President–I thought I’d just become apathetic.
Shadow Campaigner writes:
Maybe when this whole thing is over, someone can explain to me how the McCain-Palin ticket — which has gone around the country demarcating “real America” from “fake America” – someone can explain to me how this is the ticket that supposedly puts “Country First.” They’ve put certain parts of the country first, sure, but not country as a whole.
Definitely check out the rest of the post. It’s so worth the read.
Good Little Witch
Marley handed out stickers to every single person who gave her candy last night. At every door she announced, “Trick or Treat. I’m a witch. I have stickers.”
Then she painstakingly took her sticker book out of her little bag, opened up to a specific page, picked and clawed at each sticker to get it off, placed it on the subject’s hand, then finagled the awkward, flopping book back into her bag.
She went through this lengthy routine before picking up a single piece of candy from the offerers. It was hilariously adorable. And people were all very patient through this little ordeal. She was so cute. Her natural generosity is inspiring.
She was a cute little witch too, I must say.
Who Would YOU Leave Your Child Alone With?
During one of the presidential debates, Corey told me the election comes down to one simple question: Would you leave your child alone with that man?
I laughed, or course, because he’s always joking, but he was serious. He said, “Look, look at that guy. Would you leave Marley alone with him?” He knows me well enough to know my answer. And I knew his.
Obviously, by saying that, Corey activated my Reticular Activating System, because soon afterwards, these pictures began appearing on my computer.
Look, I had a dog once, good ol’ George. Every once in a while, he’d nip the ankle of a good friend. It would happen repeatedly with three different people. Just those three. After each of these “friends” successively proved that he was not, in fact, friendly, we realized that George could sense duplicity. The dog knew long before we did that certain people could not be trusted.
Kids are the same way. They feel vibes. They feel them more strongly than adults do, because they haven’t yet been conditioned to suppress their intuition.
On Salon.com, Heather Haverlisky says, “Even my 2-year-old has taken to shouting “Obama!” when she sees his face on our TV screen. (Last night, after we watched the news together, she added, “I want more Obama.”)”
For me, that is a good endorsement. These pictures are an endorsement. Kids know more than we give them credit for.
Look at this kid. Poor thing! He’s horrified. He doesn’t want to go anywhere near Sen. McCain. He might even be traumatized for life.
And then we have this:
REUTERS/Jason Reed
And these:
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
And this:
All these babies look relaxed, at the very least. They’re certainly not scared shitless like the first kid.
And I must say, I’m taken with how closely Sen. Obama regards each of these children. His demeanor with them is relaxed. He knows how to hold a baby.
In contrast to this:
Both Sen. McCain and the baby are clearly anxious.
This is my favorite. The boy’s happiness is priceless, his comfort obvious. But I love how Sen. Obama appears fully present. He’s consciously receiving the little boy’s hug. Which shows me what a person can only show and not tell–that he or she is present, aware, strong and capable. Even spiritual.
That he would take the time to be present with each of these children gives me faith. It gives me hope that he might actually mean what he’s saying. And it gives me a peaceful feeling thinking that, if he wins, we might actually have an evolving human being in the White House.
And yes, I trust that my daughter would be safe, even well cared for, if I left her alone with Sen. Obama. As a parent, it’s an excellent criteria for judging the worthiness of a candidate for a position that is supposed to require honest concern for Americans and people in general. Thanks, Core.
~~~~
Most of these photos came in an email and I only have photo credits for the first three Obama pics. If you know sources for the others, please let me know.
Something to chew on while waiting for my laundry…
I would very much like to share this post with my very vocal Bush/McCain/Palin-supporting neighbors. I found it at GranneBlog. The full article is by Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com.
“That is the essence of virtually every argument Bush supporters make regarding terrorism. No matter what objection is raised to the never-ending expansions of executive power, no matter what competing values are touted (due process, the rule of law, the principles our country embodies, how we are perceived around the world), the response will always be that The Terrorists are waging war against us and our overarching priority — one that overrides all others — is to protect ourselves, to triumph over Evil. By definition, then, there can never be any good reason to oppose vesting powers in the government to protect us from The Terrorists because that goal outweighs all others.
But our entire system of government, from its inception, has been based upon a very different calculus — that is, that many things matter besides merely protecting ourselves against threats, and consequently, we are willing to accept risks, even potentially fatal ones, in order to secure those other values. From its founding, America has rejected the worldview of prioritizing physical safety above all else, as such a mentality leads to an impoverished and empty civic life. The premise of America is and always has been that imposing limitations on government power is necessary to secure liberty and avoid tyranny even if it means accepting an increased risk of death as a result. That is the foundational American value.“
—–
We have been so conditioned in these last eight years, that this truth seems almost a distant memory.
America’s founders came here to escape tyranny. How would they feel about the measures taken by our “leaders” and the extent to which they have dismantled the meticulously considered and executed systems put in place to prevent tyranny in the New World?
