Long Time Coming. Hard Road Ahead

Yesterday I spent the afternoon crying. Not because I was sad but because I was happy.

Let me explain:
I wasn't happy because the guy I wanted to win won. I couldn't vote I'm in Australia. Even though I wanted Barak to win, like a lot of American's I just couldn't believe it could happen. But it did and there were a lot of other people, people who hoped it could happen, people who wanted it to happen. Yet these people were wary and guarded themselves ready for just another disappointment. They had seen time and time again their dreams and hopes ruined by setbacks and compromise. They had seen hatred and fear win over justice and hope.
Now finally it has happened.
The words in my mind were "Free at last, free at last." Now thats probably stepping way too far ahead because we don't know what comes next. Even if "Free at last" isn't where the African American is (because lets face it their lot in America is still a heavy one) but they now can dream because the dream has been proven to be true. The first part of Dr. Martin Luther-King's famous speach has happened. A man has been judged by the whole country not by his skin colour but by his ideals and ideas. The dream has been given clothed in reality.

Now all these thoughts flodded through my head very quickly. Then came a small snippet of video from New York. CNN's coverage had a camera in Harlem, where I don't know. BUt loud and clear I could hear them repeat over and over again. "Yes we can. Yes we can." Just thinking about it makes me tear up. For them it wasn't a slogan for them it was truth. They knew what had happened, they new what this meant. The total Joy at the culmination of a hope, a dream that they had believed was now clothed in flesh in front of them. One of their own was climbing into the last bastion of white supremacy. Never before had this happened. That a coloured man could run for President was a shock to many. That he could win. Even I thought it was impossible.

So as I sat there in my little house here in Australia watching these people rejoice at something they hope for but could never see happening in their lifetime. I cried happy tears.

Thank God I was able to see it.