I’ve had this funny feeling this week. I can’t quite pinpoint it. Oh yeah, I think it’s the sweet sweet feeling of victory and progress!! It’s been just over a week and I still can’t believe it. I should’ve believed it because Nate Silver sure did (just like last time). History has been made again on multiple counts. Not only have we re-elected Obama, but there will be more women in Congress and the House than ever before in history, the first openly gay woman was elected to the senate, marriage equality laws were passed for the first time by voters in Washington, Maryland and Maine. The air just rings of progress (despite all the sad white people mourning Romney’s loss).
Okay, so we might fall over the fiscal cliff any minute now, and I still think we need universal healthcare (because apparently it’s a young adult country’s right of passage) and across the board equal rights in all states which should seriously not be put to the ballot (because, well they’re “rights” and that’s why they’re not voted on). And don’t get me started on the fact that although a big move, 20 out of 100-ish seats in Congress still falls severely short of being representative of the 50% of women in the country…oh, and women are still wrongfully being blamed for the transgressions of high-powered, “respected” men.
BUT…I can’t dwell on that right now. I need to revel in the essence of progress. We witnessed history in the making, albeit, through small steps. People’s opinions are changing. What couldn’t be accomplished in previous elections (passing marriage equality through the ballot) was accomplished in three states this year. It’s 3 out of 50, but I think with changing sentiments and a conservative evolution, that 3 can turn into 50 not too far from now. Progress is in the air. It may not be my socialist utopia, but at least I can go to bed at night not wondering whether we’ll be going back to the 50s and my uterus will be controlled by some old, conservative, white guy. Yeah, it’s been a good week.
*In other news: I guess I’m back blogging again. I don’t know what that means – whether or not it’s going to be a regular thing – because I found that if I make promises to myself without the threat of something dire happening, I don’t typically keep them. That’s why I pay for expensive races to run a distance that I don’t think I’ll be able to make out alive unless I train to make myself run – or swim, bike, run. Either way, maybe I’ll write, maybe I won’t. Maybe people will read this and maybe they won’t. How’s that for suspense.
Beets-N-Pickles 