It's Over! We Won!

Well, we kept up our political efforts to the very end. Lynn, David, and I held signs on Bluffton Parkway the afternoon before election day. The weather had turned cold and by the end of it, we had numb hands and ears. On election day, I did a shift of phone banking for Jaime Harrison. At that point, I called it quits! It was then only a matter of waiting.

One positive result of organizing in our neighborhood is that you get to meet more neighbors. As Rosie and I take our walks, we are frequently stopped by liberal neighbors wanting to talk politics – that includes walkers, runners, cyclists, and folks in cars. Last week, one man pulled over and said how anxious he was about the whole thing. What would we do if trump wins again? What if he pulls some shenanigan on election night? Yikes! On election day morning, he called and said, “We’re going to win this thing! I feel it in my gut”. I was glad he was feeling better and said I was calmer than I expected. Then he thanked me for all we had done, which was totally unexpected and very much appreciated. It made my day, which I told him. Even with our sign-holding, we were cheered on with yells, applause, honks – one young woman tooted at us while holding her own Jaime Harrison sign! One man, while stopped by a light, rolled down his window and thanked us. Another said, “It isn’t often that you see Democrats in the wild in SC”. That made me laugh and I assured him there were more of us here than he might think. I love moments like that and they made our time and effort worthwhile.

With the little bit I have done, I’ve made connections to various groups – Precinct leaders, Democrat clubs, candidates, etc. One that I’ve really enjoyed is being included in the texting group called the Bluffton Roadside Crew. This is a group of much younger people who have hung door hangers, posted signs, taken in signs at night, replaced signs, etc. I have done a minimal part but I have certainly enjoyed their texting chatter. They are very dedicated, knowledgeable, and hard-working. They really have restored my faith in young people and educated me in their outlook, parlance, and references. It was fun!

Ana

Another uplifting moment was when I received this photo from Ana, whom I helped register to vote. She was so happy to be able to vote and I’m glad she thought of me when she did!

Then Wednesday, the day after the election, arrived. In addition to Joe Biden not looking good at that point, Democrats got slaughtered in SC. Jaime Harrison lost to Graham. Joe Cunningham lost his seat and all of our local candidates lost! It was a nightmare! That was pretty much rock bottom, especially after how hard we worked. Then, by Thursday morning we realized that all was not so bleak for Biden and it was a matter of waiting it out. As his numbers climbed, I could literally, physically feel the tension and stress leaving my body. 

As if the tension of the election were not enough, Tippy and I had scheduled our next Africa Zoom class for November 5! What were we thinking? Then Friday was my day to host our Pandemic Pals. My fridge was bare and I didn’t even have time to cook! I lived off Amy’s soup for two days. For our social gathering, I took the easy way out and ordered food from Truffles which was probably better than anything I could have done anyway!

Saturday was to be a quiet day at home and I was finally going to have time to cook. Then suddenly midmorning, Biden was declared president!! The phone started ringing, emails and texts coming in…..locally, as well as from the UK, Spain, France, and Thailand! There was one glass of wine left in a bottle from the night before, so I poured it to celebrate as I cooked. Pauline texted first and suggested it must be wine-o’clock! A photo followed! 

Lynn hosted the Pandemic Pals for an impromptu celebration. It was one of the few times we kept the TV on just to see the joyous people in the streets. Seeing the people celebrating in the streets – diverse, jubilant, peaceful – was so heartwarming. You talk about a schizophrenic nation? It has been like night and day and makes me wonder why some people would prefer the night? I think it may have to do with their general worldview (positive or negative) and I’m not sure how to change that. At least we will have a reprieve from the negativity. What a relief!

It was all so inspiring that I wore my 4^th of July shirt this morning when I walked Rosie. It had just rained and it felt like a crisp, new day, literally and figuratively. Hope springs eternal!

What will I do now that the election is over and I'm not compelled to focus on politics all the time?