I voted today. I pulled up to the polling location and quickly realized that there was a line wrapped around the building. The election is just 11 days away. I took my place at the end of the line and patiently waited. This was too important to allow the inconvenience of waiting discourage me. My inconvenience is nothing compared to those that came before me who fought, suffered, and some died so that I could have the right. The same right as was principled in the constitution.
I stood in line and watched the other voters. They had on AppleBottom jeans, RocaWear jackets, business suits, grandmothers in wheelchairs, babies in strollers, then there was me--standing there in my HBCU sweatshirt checking email on my smartphone. The psuedo-professional Black girl.
As the line inched closer it grew twice as long and all of a sudden it descended on me. I was flooded with such overwhelming emotion. Tears raced down my cheeks. I kept thinking, we're doing it, we're doing it, we're doing it. It's happening in my lifetime. I will have a part in history.
40 years ago they mourned MLK's assassination. Now we have someone else to believe in. We finally have someone else to believe in and he's not just for us but he can lead everyone else too. I'm so proud. I know him. If we saw each other on the street would he know me? Naw, but all I'd have to say it TUCC, unapologetically black and unashamedly Christian. He comes from my city, he married a woman from the hood(who attended my rival high school). I know them well. YOU know them. They are the same everyday people as we are.
As I walked up to the station, I took the stylus from the polling captain and I kept crying and wiping my face. I stood there and stared at the ballot for at least 5 minutes before I clicked the button. It's happening, it's happening right before my eyes. By the time I finished casting my entire IL ballot, unbeknownst to me I'd begun whispering aloud, "thank you, thank you, thank you Jesus. Hallelujah to Jesus." I didn't realize it at first but I'd set off a shouting session in the polling place! Women were saying Amen! Hallelujah! Men were saying, "He's alright!" Had I stayed a moment longer I am certain I would have caught the Holy Ghost!! (which has never happended to me yet) .
I walked out and kept wiping tears and the whole line still wrapped around the building kept humming, God is good! Amen! Thank ya Jesus!!
It's happening. We are doing it.
Yes we can.
Yes we will.
Yes we are.
Yes we did.
Thank you Jesus!
Thank you God! Now cover Him, protect Him, anoint Him, and keep him safe.
AMEN
Hello
11 years ago
1 comment:
Nicole...were you shouting??? Well that is all right girl. I know that anyone who reads this comment and does not know me will think that I am just cosigning but you and I both know that we click on so many things. This post could have very well been my post back during the primaries. I went to vote early for the primaries (and yes I have already Baracked my vote for this election) and I pulled out my phone to call everyone I could because I became so full of emotion. There were literally hundreds of people in line voting during the primaries. I called my aunt in Iowa (who has been working on the campaign there), I called my cousin in cali, I called my mom and just was filled with joy that this could finally be happening. When I went to vote early for this election I was somewhat cooler but none the less moved. I saw every type of person from white hippie, to gangsta, to hood rat, to professional, to old lady, to old man, and so many people who had never done this voting thing before. It was quite overwhelming. It was funny because why were they selling 2.00 Starbucks coffee in line...is that for all the elitist who would be voting for Obama??? This is truly and historic and deep moment. You are right in downright brings me to tears.
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