The day after...

If there was ever a day to blog, this is one of them, the day after the 2008 presidential election...probably the single most important election in the history of my own life. I woke up yesterday with a feeling I only remember as a child, one who still believes in Santa...on Christmas morning. Not necessarily with the same excitement, but with the exact same anticipation. I voted and after felt a sense of satisfaction, a sense of freedom and perhaps even rebellion. Living in such a "blue" state, it's easy to feel like your vote doesn't count...and really, at the end of it all, it probably didn’t. But, still, I have the right.

So I voted and then had to run. I mean literally, I had to run. I came home and as fast as I could, grabbed my tennis shoes and I was out the door...alone with the pavement. I started wondering why I had abandoned what was probably one of my very first true loves...running. I remember the first time I ran a mile, I must have only been 10 or 11 years old at the time. But, it was satisfying and exhilarating...and also addicting. I started and just didn't stop...there were months on end where I didn't go through one day without running 4-5 miles. Today while I was running it dawned on me that the last time I ran 5 miles was Thanksgiving day 2005...I was newly pregnant with Anna and still feeling great, but wow, that was 3 years ago...had it really been that long? How did these years go by so fast? I physically struggled and pushed myself to just finish 2 yesterday. Although my weight, ironically after 2 children, is the same as my young 16 year old self, I'm definitely in the worst physical shape of my life. Although more difficult, it was still the all familiar release...and it felt good.


After I put the girls to bed last night, I sat down completely paralyzed in front of the television. I couldn't turn it off and felt like I just couldn't move, was this really happening? Was history in the making right in front of my very eyes? Was Obama really going to be in theWhite House for at least 4 years or maybe even 8? On one hand, I couldn't help but feel inspired and moved. Yesterday was truly monumental---the historical significance will rarely be paralleled, at least in my lifetime.

But yesterday was not a good day for the GOP and the conservative in me has to ask, do the Obama supporters really understand his economic plan? do they really trust his questionable relationships and financial supporters? Is he really going to go through with this socialist plan? As I watched minorities all across the country cry tears of joy, I also listened to their words. When asked why they wanted Obama to win, the answers ranged from "he's going to pay my mortgage and take care of me" to "i didn't think i'd ever see the day when another African American could be and would be elected president". So, it makes me wonder if they have chosen him for the right reasons and if they really understand. Because regardless of his skin color, he is a radical liberal who's plan mimics socialism, government control, anti-capitalism and discourages the American dream...everything that the USA was built upon! There will be no incentive to succeed, to do better, to work harder. Not everyone deserves the same thing...you have to earn what you gain...that's capitalism. What will happen to our economy if we turn away from this? I feel like those who are too successful will be punished while the complainers sit back with a 'life's not fair' entitled attitude. That scares me. At lunch yesterday an uninformed Obama supporter asked me why I would be scared if he was elected into office...she ignorantly asked me "because of his name"? please. Of course not...I told her because of his economic plan, questionable relationships, and approach to Iraq. She had no idea what I was talking about...I wanted to ask her if she had listened to anything he has said over the last year or if she had at the very least tuned in to the debates, but instead I walked away. I walked away knowing that we were in trouble. Are these the people that voted yesterday?

So my thoughts are that 50% of the Obama supporters have no idea what they are supporting. They think that he is going to take care of them, but they don't understand. They got caught up in the movement and instead of voting for the issues, voted socially to change history.

The other 50% I have to just trust. Those intelligent people that voted for Obama fully understanding his involvement, ideas, beliefs...understanding his approach to domestic as well as foreign affairs, how he will spend government dollars, and how he will manage our own personal bank accounts. I just have to trust that they are right...afterall, there must be millions of them! They must know? right? i hope so...

So today is a new day---the democrats changed history forever yesterday. As I said before, at least I feel inspired...how could you not be? But it's going to take a lot of convincing for me to come around to his plans for the economy and when it comes to foreign affairs and national security, I just pray he knows what he is doing.

On to other, cuter things! Below are some recent pics of the girls---to see more, check out the slideshow in the right column titled "October 2008". God bless the USA.