I said I would share a story today about the power of moving the body… what was I thinking?
Today is how-can-anyone-not-be-voting day?
Today is how can anybody-get-any-work-done-day?
Today is I-get-why-democracy-is-worth-dying-for-day.
Today is history-making.
Today is hope-making.
Today may be the day in which we collectively begin to turn away from fear-mongering and begin to have a relationship with our real fears. Which will, hopefully, allow us to create real solutions.
No matter which candidate you are voting for, no matter what voting shenanigans take place, no matter how long the lines, no matter that the archaic electoral college still exists, millions of people have enough faith that their opinion matters that they are casting a ballot.
Not one voter, however, will be killed for voting. No one will not be shot at. No one will lose their job. No one will have their children or family tortured.
No one.
As often in my life as I have felt shame at being an American because of choices our government has made or the lies our leaders have told or my own complicity in not marching in the streets when those things happen, more often I have felt gratitude.
Gratitude that I can complain about those choices and lies, that I can write a blog, newsletter or article that is not censored, that I can send a slip of paper through the mail (we have mail-only voting in my county) without retribution.
I have even more gratitude that my child can walk safely to school, that I can walk the streets day or night without fear, that I can buy food, that I can sleep at night without wondering if someone will burst through my door and kill everyone I love.
We may be profoundly poorer in the coming months and years, in dollars and international good will, and it is entirely possible we will become vastly richer in self-determination, integrity and the deep remembrance that each of can truly make a difference when we remember we have a choice.
When we remember our fears do not define us.
Today, I cry with gratitude and hope for the ideals of our country. Flawed and dented as they may be, they are ideals each person who casts a vote today is living.
They are ideals worth overcoming our fears for, whatever those fears may be.
To the power of voting, the glory of freedom and the remembrance that remaining awake to our choices is our first and most challenging duty.
Tomorrow, the great story! Promise.
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25 responses so far ↓
1 Amy Bogard Nov 4, 2008
Well said Jennifer! It is certainly “time for a change”. And we are truly fortunate to be able to forge that change and broadcast our hopes. Happy voting!
-amy
2 Shannon Wilkinson Nov 4, 2008
The tears are in my eyes too Jen. I voted a couple of weeks ago (we’re mail-in only too) which felt anti-climatic at the time. But still, now, today, even though I’m not physically casting my ballot today, this feeling that there is hope, that maybe we really can make changes, that we have CHOICES, is so real. Thanks for following your heart with this post, instead of your to-do list, and sharing it with us all.
3 Business Heart » Comfort in fearful times- Jennifer Louden Nov 4, 2008
[...] I was inspired to write a post about voting today, and about what matters, but then my friend Jennifer Louden already did. [...]
4 Laura Nov 4, 2008
Yes, girl, YES! Eloquently put. You even got retweeted!!
5 Dana Corey, Spicy Princess Nov 4, 2008
Thanks for putting words to the electric feeling in my body. This energy of change and hope and taking responsibility for our country’s direction is a living, breathing sensation. Its hard to put into words and you captured it. Thanks Jen. We’ll have a new president and government in a few hours and I toast us all!
6 Gina Hyams Nov 4, 2008
Beautiful.
7 Kaya Singer Nov 4, 2008
This was beautiful! Thanks you so much for the inspiration! I will send it out to my Twitter group too.
8 michelle of bleeding espresso Nov 4, 2008
This beautifully expresses what so many of us are feeling today. I’m in Italy so I voted weeks ago, but the excitement is just as fresh as it was when I filled in my oval. And seeing those amazingly long lines at polling stations even before they’re open warms my American heart
9 Jennifer Nov 4, 2008
Thanks everybody.
I was just chatting with my best friend who lives in Florida and she asked me if I thought things were really going to change and I said, YES.
It’s that spirit we will have to keep building!
10 Kelly Nov 4, 2008
This IS the great story! We’re moving our collective bodies into line and voting! Loved this post! Thank you!
11 Alice Burylo Nov 4, 2008
Amen. Thanks for a great post.
12 chris zydel Nov 4, 2008
Even though I feel like I live on a different planet half the time ( and since I do reside in Northern California that is kinda true) and as crazy making and disappointing and frustrating as this country can be at times , it is important to remember how good we do have it here.
The ideals of democracy and all the freedoms that are part of that package are a little bent and maybe a bit tarnished but are far from broken.
There are so many amazing things to be grateful for and actually living during this time of monumental change is one of them.
Thank you for the inspiration and the reminder. And, yes, you made me cry! But in a really, really good way.
13 Get Your Fear Basics Here » Comfort Queen Nov 4, 2008
[...] Hope Making about my gratitude for living in our country [...]
14 Jennifer Nov 4, 2008
I just watched OBAMA vote which made me cry – yet again!
15 Kathy Hagen Nov 4, 2008
Thanks for the post. Not only can we vote without fear, but we can get involved without fear. If we feel shame or sadness for what decisions made by the government, we can run for office, even at a local level. We can write our elected officials, make a change, let our voices be heard. At this point, party lines don’t matter….we matter. I have hope because I have faith and I can make a difference– just as you do Jen, with your writing.
16 Karen Talavera Nov 4, 2008
It is beautiful to see both you and our country moving through this realization about fear. God bless you for living it out loud.
CNN had an interview with six different Florida women (split down the middle with one undecided voter). It was very telling . . . all the ones supporting McCain said they “feared” or “were afraid of” how healthcare or the economy would be under Obama. None of them expressed a pro-McCain view, just an anti-Obama one. With the Obama women it was different, there was no mention of McCain or fear at all.
Reminds me of one of my favorite sayings, “It’s better to run TO something than FROM something”. People are drawn to Obama all on his own; he doesn’t need to play the fear card. McCain only serves as contrast to validate that Obama does indeed shine as brightly as he appears to.
If we can somehow remember to see the glass half full rather than half empty; remind ourselves to tap into gratitude on a regular basis, and make decisions from that space of love rather than fear then gloom and doom doesn’t stand a chance. Optimism IS after all a learnable skill.
17 Irene Nov 5, 2008
Joy and hope.”Our fears do not define us”. Very well said.
18 barbara Nov 5, 2008
thank you Jennifer. Obama offers so much hope, and you are in the “hope” business! Life is good. I offer this quote:
While we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.
Barack Obama
President-Elect of the United States of America
19 cindy Nov 5, 2008
It’s funny that you have been talking about fears lately. It must be a popular topic right now here in this country. So I’m a little slow in getting around to reading all my email, but just opened yours and have found myself reading your blog. Here’s a post I did on my blog just the other day about fear.
http://devinedesignsjewelry.blogspot.com/2008/11/on-my-mind.html
20 Pamela Nov 5, 2008
We, as the body politic, moved yesterday!
One of the oldest truths is that Fear is the Great Destroyer of perspective.
Though my vote was for Obama, I was gladdened to see the amount of grace McCain exhibited in his concession speech. I wish he had run his campaign in the same manner.
The moment of the Obama and Biden families joining hands, mirroring the diversity of the crowd was one of the things that made me cry!
21 Suzane Nov 5, 2008
Today I am overwhelmed with gratitude in our democracy and filled with hope in our ability to make positive, profound changes both individually and collectively. Thank you, Jennifer, for continuing to remind us of hope and to hold it out as a banner for us.
22 Jennifer Nov 5, 2008
I’m thrilled beyond measure, whatever that means, and exhausted. So many tears last night, so much relief this morning, and the slow shouldering of the work to be done. As someone who provides hope (thanks Barbara!!) I want to do my part. I kept thinking last night, “He is great. We can all be great.” That is what a good leader does, inspire greatness.
23 Jennifer Nov 5, 2008
@Cindy I tried to post at your site but I’m a hopeless tweeb so here is my comment for you!
Thanks for sharing your fear, it helps us all to read about our struggles and the small ways we take to move forward… small steps, yes!!! Love your beautiful inspiring work and I will think of you today as I work with / dance with my own fear.
24 Karen Talavera Nov 6, 2008
Wow, you called it Jen with your title “Hope Making”. Did you see Oprah’s t-shirt on her Nov. 5 show? It said “HOPE WON!”
Indeed it did! And just in time.
25 Sharon Martinelli Nov 12, 2008
The announcement that Barack Obama won took my breath away. The room was silent and then it exploded in shared love, hope and optimism. I got so excited that I could not go to sleep. The next morning, I jumped out of bed, grinning from ear to ear and so greatful to realize that our intentions had been answered.
My sobering reality is that we all need to help – no one can do this repair alone and I am so excited to be part of this transformation. As of now, I don’t know what my contribution will be but whatever it is, it will be done with heart, passion and soul.