Yes We Can

It's election night. I haven't been so excited and nervous since Christmas as a child, or watching the Super Bowl.

I am at work in the office. Sitting, staring at my computer screen in my cubical at 4:30 PM. It reads that McCain has 8 electoral votes and Obama has 3. I nervously run my mouse along the eastern coast of a US map to see where the other states are currently standing. Things aren't looking too good. Majority of the southern states seem to be voting for McCain. Except for Florida, which at the time showed a 68% to 32% lead for Obama. Doing quick math in my head I calculate a 52 - 48 lead for Obama when this is all said and done. But it is still early. Anything can happen. My coworkers are gleeful for the lead thus far. Making jokes and laughing thinking this to be a different election than what has been predicted for a few months already.

Leaving work at 5:00PM to pick up my child, it's my day to have him for 2 hours. Being with him is surreal. I forget about everything and focus entirely on him. My world, is on pause when we are together. It's amazing what a three year old can do. Stop a mans world. Isn't Superman suppose to be the one able to do that? Fly around the Earth backwords to reverse the spin of the earth in turn travelling back in time? Awesome. Before dropping him back off with his Mom and Step Dad he tells me he wants to come home with me and starts to cry when I tell him not until Friday. So of course, I play his favorite song during the drive back to his house. "Baby Don't you Change" by Tyrone Wells.

"Sweet baby don't you change, baby don't you change, baby don't you change a thing!" He sings along with it. His second favorite song on the album "Sea Breeze" comes on next and we sing it together before knocking on the door to his house.

There I learn that Obama has a lead in the polls and I leave to meet some good friends at The Lamp. A bar in south east Portland. Friends and I have decided that we want to get out and watch the election this year.

Frantically weaving between cars, switching lanes to ones that appear faster than the others, I am in a hurry to see if who I voted for will win. Arriving at The Lamp close to 8:00PM I am given smiles and jokes about my Halloween costume and how awesome it was. I was the lead singer from Blue Oyster Cult in the SNL Cowbell skit. It was nothing short of hilarious.

Ordering an Alameda Ale, I sit down and joke with my friends and girlfriend. Looking at the polls I see it is Obama in a wide lead over McCain. By something like 80 electoral votes. Within a matter of seconds everyone is clapping. I join in and to my surprise Obama won.

Overwhelmed and shaking, so very excited, I can feel it in the pit of my stomach. I can hardly believe it. Not that I didn't want it to happen, I am so beyond happy. I have never seen anything like this. People were cheering, honking their car horns as they drive by. It's like New Years Eve, or Christmas. People are yelling outside. Screaming in joy. I liken it to winning an NBA championship here in Portland. People are crazy. Has ther ever been this much excitement over an election? Shortly after my friend, girlfriend, and I decided to take a shot. We are elated, conversations always come back to, "Wow, I'm so excited, I can't believe it." We try the most expensive shot in the bar, which turns out to be $8.00 a shot. Excellent whiskey too. We quited for McCain's speach and stood in front of the TV to listen. His audience boos when he first mentions Obama and he puts up his hands and quiets them down. I commend him for that. His speach is good, I felt he meant most every word.

Quite a bit of time passes before Obama's speach. I am guessing something close to an hour. We sit eyes glued to the television listening, hanging on every word. We laugh we he mentioned getting a new puppy for the White House, but overall his speach captivates us. We clap again when it is over, tears almost escaping. And all this over our next President of the United States of America.

I didn't realize how patriotic my friends where. Some of whom complain about the government alot and seem to not have very much faith in it at all. I am an Iraqi War Veteran. Nine years in the military. It wasn't award filled, and alot of the time I couldn't stand being in the Army. But I did my time, fought for my country, and wouldn't take back any of it.

I can see a change in America. A change for good. A change for the better. I think what was said is true.

"Yes we can."