I watched the election aftermath from a hotel room in Waco, Texas, just about the last place I thought I would be to bear witness. Somehow I pictured that I’d be home in DC, that I’d hear kids setting off small fireworks in the streets while I toasted the television with a better red than on average Tuesdays. I did not expect that I would be on a business trip to the middle of the country, and so tired from flying and driving and training that on one of the most important nights in our young nation’s history, I would fall asleep.
It’s more accurate to say that I chose to sleep, as if the distinction matters. At some point my eyelids became so heavy, my cheeks and ears and hair so cumbersome to hold up, that I finally gave in. I’ll just rest my eyes, I told myself, the famous last words of tired fools. I am a fool of structure, however, so I set my alarm to wake me in less than an hour. Not soon enough. I missed the liberal media announce Obama’s win, missed the reaction of the crowds as they realized that this was the real deal, that there would be no recount, no hanging chads. I simply missed it.
I woke up in time to see McCain emerge once again as the man I once liked, the man many years ago I thought I might consider voting for. I saw Obama give an acceptance speech that I judged as too restrained. I wanted him to run out and squeal with glee, to dip Michelle into an extended victory kiss and have Joe surprise the kids with that damned hypothetical puppy no one will stop talking about. Doing the robot would not have been over the top, dousing the crowd with Dom not excessive. But I’m guessing those aren’t wise moves for a man on the cusp of becoming Commander in Chief. At least not beyond his teenage years.
It was no less of a historical moment, of course, but it would have been nice to be awake for it. Or at least to outlast the Obama children.
23 Comments
If it’s any consolation, I missed the moment of announcement, too, but mainly because I was opening another bottle. Kind of an astonishing moment, though. Oh, the intersections of American history, booze, and fatigue.
PS - Your HAIR was heavy? What have they done to you in TX?
I think our low-level showings deserve a GAH.
Hair is always heavy when one hails from Jersey.
It is pretty sad when grade-schoolers can outlast you, but to be fair, they probably had a nap.
I totally did Jersey hair for Halloween. I had almost forgotten how to tease it!
Can I tease your hair? NYAH! NYAH!
As concerned as I am about the future of our great Nation, I had been up working for 18 hours and went right home to bed.
Sweet indeed. I felt giddy and hopeful and all good things, including pangs of someting for McCain after such a long campaing, but was not moved to tears. The robot would have pushed me to tears for sure.
I think you can rewrite this and say that you chose to be an emissary in Bush country as a new President was elected, to begin the process of healing. Or something like that.
Me and my boyfriend were flying the night they made the announcement of Obama’s win so we missed it also but I got a bigger surprise when we landed.
When we found out Obama won, my boyfriend proposed to me with a gorgeous diamond engagement ring from http://www.idonowidont.com so I went from saying yes we can to soon saying I do!
I fell asleep as well.
How ironic to be in Texas, of all places, when the anti-Bush is elected president. It had to feel good, in a way.
Somewhere, Molly Ivins is smiling.
It kinda did feel good. ;) Can’t wait to be in DC today, though. Cannot wait!
You only fell asleep because the coverage was so boring. And you forgot your tinfoil hat to keep the mind control beam off your brain. Again.
I got to experience missing the Bush/Kerry election night while at Disneyworld. Going to Space instead of being on Earth is the only way to do it.
Waco is sweet-o.
I was asleep, too. Once PA and OH were in, I was like, “okay, that’s it, I’m done. I can watch anything important tomorrow on YouTube.”
Then I saw pictures that a friend of mine took at the Grant Park rally and I started feeling envious and foolish.
Bygones.
I completely slept through the whole thing, waking at 7am to five text messages announcing, “We won!” Funny that every single message, sent by five different people, said exactly the same thing.
i purposefully avoided every drop of televised coverage and then i purposefully fell asleep.
Almost everyone I spoke with saw McCain but fell asleep before Obama spoke. Everyone except me!
I win!!!!
Bummer, dudette! It was AWESOME!! It hit me that night that the black, fetid, oppressive, stupidity of the last 8 years is over and my eyes watered. It reminds you that you get “used” to something then when it is suddenly gone it is like walking out of a cave into bright dazzling sunshine. Theres a spring to my step now. If I had your address I would send you a bottle of my favorite wine. Expensive stuff, too. ;)
I used to like McCain too…last election. Too bad you missed out on the win though - you were asleep while the kids were being promised a puppy. You could have got a puppy!!!
Ah I wish - but you can get a free pair of earrings by stopping by my blog and taking part in another election.
Speaking of the puppy, this cracked me up:
http://www.holytaco.com/puppy-writes-barack-obamas-daughters
I was outside smoking when my friends started cheering. If that’s not incentive to finally quit, I don’t know what is.
Similar story…I saw the announcement and McCain’s speech, but then woke up while they were replaying Obama’s speech. Two out of 3 ain’t bad.
I saw history being made and sure I sleepy too. It was an amazing night for America and for the world.
I also fell asleep on the couch, but thankfully I had a partner in crime watching who woke me up for the important moment. Election drinking games are trouble…
Waco sucks!!!!