Ba(ra)ck.

At least 2 of my 11.922 readers have expressed concern over my conspicuous absence of late. Conspicuous because, you know, some stuff has been going on in the world that is ripe for blogging about. I'm referring to Britney, of course.

Oh, and the whole Obama thing.

You can actually blame Obama for my going MIA if you like. You see, his election as President threw me into quite an introspective mood. Its taken some time to find words for exactly how I feel about it. And without words, how do you blog?

It was quite an election, one for the history books, clearly. Everyone reacts differently to something like that. Going into election night, knowing that Obama was likely to win, I kind of expected that I would jump for joy, or cry, or burst into sparkles because I couldn't contain my excitement.

Instead, at 10:00 on election night, when the networks raced to get their flashy "Obama Wins!" graphics on screen, I sighed. I sighed the biggest sigh of my life. It just kept coming out, as if I'd been holding my breath for 8 years. 8 long years of fear, shock, disbelief, horror, disgust, and shame, all over at last. More than anything else, I was relieved.

Relieved that the campaign was over. Relieved that the Bush years were almost over. Relieved that John McCain wasn't going to be our next president. Relieved that Sarah Palin wasn't going to be our next president. Relieved that voters had made the right choice. Relieved that intelligence, rationality, and sensibility were returning to government. Relieved that no one got shot or killed.

Relieved to have my faith in my country restored, and to be a proud American for the first time in my adult life.

Shortly after the election, I was speaking to a friend who voted for McCain. He was cautioning against putting too much faith and hope at the feet of one man, and I explained to him that my hope and optimism for the future was born not just from the president I believe Obama will be, but also from the new sense of patriotism that he had magically inspired in people across the country. I feel like I live in the United States of America again. People are engaged and passionate about their country, they've woken up and are ready to be heard again. We've got something to prove, and we're proving it.

Have you seen this?



That is what gives me hope. (And goosebumps, every time.)