Access Blogs
Standing On The Edge Of History...
I'm standing here in Chicago's Grant Park as the first portion of election results are trickling in. It feels like the calm before the storm. The general public has just been allowed into the park and they are racing for position as if participating in a diamond giveaway. It's chaotic, for sure, but exhilarating. Incredibly, the background is serene. The normally frigid Chicago is actually relatively warm, and the landscape couldn't be more beautiful. Sky rises are all lit up.Most notably, there's one with lights arranged to read "USA."
The media and general public feel as though they are all ready to be part of history in electing either the first African American President or the first female Vice President. People came out in record numbers to vote, perhaps showing the world that we are, in fact, ready to reclaim our image and redeem the current woes we are experiencing in this country.
Young people showed what they were made of - "rocking the vote" as it were. Celebs are taking a back seat here as I've heard tonight it is all about Obama - no celebs are expected to be in view during his speech. That could change, but that's what we are hearing now.
Hello again, Maria, :)
Your experience sounds awesome! I wish I could have been there in Chicago too. Watching yesterday's events on TV, the evening following the big announcement seemed from coast-to-coast like an electric blend of the Fourth of July and New Year's Day. It was exhilarating- and equally meaningful. We've needed this change for a very long time, and I couldn't be happier that Barack Obama has been elected. There's a world of work to be done, but- just as surely- we have elected the best person to guide us out from under these enormous problems.
The environmental crisis dominates all of the issues confronting us; the very survival of our world dangles precariously in the balance. I will probably vote Democratic for the rest of my life because of this issue alone. Thank you for doing your part to keep the environmental movement in the public eye through your show on Planet Green. Thank you for helping to save the world.
I’m a huge fan of you, Maria. From learning English as a second language as a child, to later struggling with your weight and feeling completely alone in the world, and yet then proceeding forward to attain all of the success that you enjoy today- while sustaining your allegiance to your values as a person and while reaching out to help so many people and animals in need- you are absolutely amazing.
I hope that you and your friends at AH had a great time in Chicago. Thank you for sharing your experience. Please write again soon. And please keep up your amazing work, Maria!
-Steve
Maria-
Excellent work from the rally in Chicago. Random, but I was actually backstage at the rally and thought about saying hello but I could tell you were quite busy working the angles and following the stories. As I know from working many events, you never get to capture pictures for yourself... I thought I would share with you some of my images from the evening and would be happy to get you prints of any of these shots if you were interested. Since I am currently re-designing my website (http://www.willbyington.com) Check them out on my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=181687&l=31b69&id=597470353). Enjoy and keep up the great work.
-Will Byington