As I answered, "Yes," a young man reached out his hand.
"Hi, I'm Jordan, poet and philosopher, from the University of Southern Florida, Tampa. We have a group of students here along with another group from North Carolina." We stood in the Sheraton Suite's lobby in Alexandria, VA. Till that moment, I didn't really know what to expect of my weekend. From that moment on, one more introduction after another, I experienced one realization and validation after another--that Americans are indeed the hard-working, caring, creative, respectful optimists that I'd hoped they are.
As I waited for a shuttle to the "Fish Market" for dinner, a husband and wife of Latin origin sitting next to me spoke of their anticipation for the weekend. The father would run the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday in D.C. with his daughter who attends college nearby, but first they would all attend the "Rally to Restore Sanity" on the Mall on Saturday. In a very few sentences, our conversation progressed from pleasant expressions about the up-coming marathon challenge and mutual appreciation for the effort it took to be there in Washington for the Rally, to our respect and concerns for our President. The wife expressed her apprehension regarding Obama's safety in the current climate of our country's political scene. I said I'd been worried about that since his inauguration. The shuttle arrived and we were each delivered to our respective restaurants for dinner. However, the immediate openness we'd shared in our brief conversation left a slight feeling of exhileration as I ordered the fresh fish of the day.
After walking up and down King Street, browsing in stores and previewing a vast selection of restaurant menus on the way, I called for the shuttle back to the Sheraton. Still early evening, wandering into the lounge, I found Jordan, poet and philosopher, chatting with a family. He immediately introduced me, "Cheryl from Chicago," to an elderly grandmother, her daughters, and their children who awaited their pizza order. They had traveled far, to be here for the rally. "I am so impressed by the inter-generational representation I'm beginning to observe," I addressed to the grandmother.
She enthusiastically replied, "All my friends wanted to come. It's just that some of them could not make it because of health issues. But they all wanted to be here." The young boys began to make jokes about how they liked to "raise the roof," pumping their hands toward the ceiling, "because our father is a roofer!" Jordan was inspired and reached for his phone.
"I have to get this on a video," he said, and proceeded to shoot footage of every single person in the room as he asked them their names and where they were from--all ages from all parts of the country. I had moved to the other side of the room, but before finishing, he made sure to point his camera phone in my direction, "...and this is Cheryl..."
"...from Chicago," I yelled over to him before he finally turned it off.
Then with a grand announcement before leaving with his young friends he lets us know, "You'll all be on Youtube!" and explained how we could find it.
I lifted my drink and headed over to talk to a couple from San Diego, she a retired school teacher, and he, retired from a Naval career. They'd lived all over the world, including Hawaii, and now San Diego. So of course I had to tell them about my friends who are moving to San Diego in December. One story led to another and I discovered they'd attended a wedding the year before in the lodge at Mt. Charleston, nearby the hiking trails I'm contemplating for my 60th birthday climb! They'd traveled from San Diego to Washington D.C. for one reason only--the Rally. We exchanged names and email addresses, eager to keep in touch.
By the time my friend, Joanna arrived on her late night flight from Chicago, I was deeply engrossed in conversations at the bar. She joined right in as we proceeded to meet a woman from Oregon waiting for her husband to arrive. They would both be at the Rally, all the way from Oregon. They had served in the Peace Corps years ago, and we shared conversations of social and justice issues, theology and global concerns.
On my left I met a professor from Emery in Atlanta. We talked about the night Obama was elected and how everyone in the room had tears in their eyes--her friends in Atlanta and ours in Chicago. It was heartening to review this event again, and know that the power and emotion behind it, is as strong as ever.
We were joined by a mom from Long Island who had just driven her three teenage children all the way there after work that day. The teens were up in the room finishing their signs and costumes for the Rally. She was getting a much needed adult moment with us, and was very excited to share all the details of her journey from the first moment she heard of the rally till she drove into the hotel parking lot. Long Island working Mom, professor from Emery, minister's wife (that's me,) finance professional from Chicago, and activist from Oregon--there we sat, bar stool to bar stool, all on the same page--women warmed and lifted by the comradery, eager to share our immediate future together in Washington.
Before turning in, I double-checked my gear for Saturday. A little voice in the back of my head warned, "You're 59 years old with back issues, you don't like to be cold, and you don't really know what to expect."
However, that little voice, was drowned out by a huge voice saying, I'm Cheryl from Chicago, and I'm here to represent! I want to stand up and be counted.
Though I don't really know exactly what to expect, I know I want to be here. I will be counted as one reasonable voice who respects my president. I will be counted as one reasonable voice who accepts all kinds of people who are not like me. I will be counted as one reasonable voice who wants to make a positive difference, even though most of the time I don't have a clue how to go about doing that in any political sense.
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| Calendar in a shop on King Street |
Right now my life has brought me here. Tomorrow morning I'll discover everything there is to discover.
I proceeded to slip in between some really fantastic bedding in the newly renovated Sheraton Suites, peaceful as could be.
....to be continued
Monday, November 1, 2010
Workout--difficult today, heavy, sluggish, and not at all flexible. Think it had to do with air travel, standing all those hours, etc. Donna advises: It's just one day...you'll feel better the next time. Look at your training as a whole...not one day. A difficult day will occur, it does for everyone. It's more important that you put that behind you today and focus on what's ahead of you. And so I will.
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