A Day For All Girls From The South Side of Chicago (So to speak…)
A little bit of sentimentality amongst all the politics. A bit of a ramble, but working out something that struck me today….
I keep calling this convention something of a camp reunion. You cannot stand on a street corner for more than a few minutes without running into someone you know. Often, at least for me, that someone is someone I adore, and that run in leads to a lot of yelping and hugging and laughter.
I spent the evening doing the requisite party hopping. But at some point or another I ended up at some event that was, well, amusing, but not, necessarily, The Place To Be. But I was there with five of my dearest friends, from different states and countries, folks I just don’t see enough of ever. We were outside around a picnic table drinking the free drinks and just laughing ourselves silly.
That group of friends were all folks I know from grad school. I was very lucky in my grad school experience. We were all there, having dedicated our lives to public service, passionate and engaging in late night drinking sessions dreaming up the way we thought things should be. And I just love these people. They are my friends and, in some cases, now my family. They remind me of who I am and who I still work to become. And, now, many of them are in important roles in this convention, and running around doing good and necessary things, but when we get together we kid and we dance and we break out singing and have long and hilarious talks about the differences between people who hang cheesy motivational posters in their government offices and those who don’t. And then we all get too little sleep and wake up in the morning and try to do something good for the world.
That “blond chick” I blogged about earlier is particularly important to me. We knew of each other before we went to grad school. She knew of my background and story, and so knew that I had been homeless and came from nothing. That allowed us to bond early on in those hallowed halls of Harvard. That gal, too, came from a world where no one even thought of going to Harvard. Not too many even really thought about college from the places we come from.
I was always the renegade of sorts in grad school. With my boots and my funky style of jewelry and passionate beliefs and a tendency to debate. That chick, she has always been calmer than me. She’s blond and looks like the perfect politician in her suits. But then over some of those Haavaad cocktails, she would drop bits of reality into the conversation, mention her brother having been in jail, or whatever fact, and folks would go silent, uncertain what to do with such unfamiliar knowledge. And then she and I would seek each other out to vent.
That gal and I sat there this evening, listening to the speeches and running into other friends. We leaned against each other throughout much of the night, just so happy to be in each other’s presence. Her work was shouted out to in Michelle’s speech several times. And each time my gal would yelp and cheer, knowing that what she is doing is becoming so successful on such an important level. And then she’d yell at any annoying person trying to walk in front of us.
We both were crying at various points in the evening. (What’s up with my happy crying lately?!) We were there, in that crazy convention hall, kids from poor backgrounds, who never were suppose to lead the lives we lead. And we listened to Michelle and just held each other, tears sometimes streaming down our checks. Sometimes laughing. Sometimes just in awe of the woman on the stage, and in awe of the work we get to do.
Michelle brought it home tonight. She was perfect. And her speech were perfect. And her kids were adorable. And the Obama call in was brilliant. And this was an America and a concept of an American dream that me and that gal felt in every molecule of our being.
And, yes, this is a cheesy personal sentiment to share with you all. But it was a highlight of my experience today. And it reminds me of why this all goes beyond politics right now. The tides are changing in ways beyond just all of what is obvious in this election. I’m always going to pull for the girl from the South Side of Chicago, or from the outskirts of Vegas, or the dirt of the Mojave, who has somehow found her way onto a stage in front of millions, or just into a life that she loves and can use to make a difference. Tonight was a night for such girls, those of us who have lives that we celebrate, and all those little ones still dreaming of who they will become. Hate me for the sentiment, I’ll give you some snark in exchange later.
