Thursday, November 6, 2008

Yes we can!!!

Okay, this can't be avoided. Everyone is talking about it and it's historic.

As Chris Rock so eloquently put it, "THERE'S A BROTHER IN THE WHITE HOUSE!"

Awwright!!!

Seldom have I stood taller with my brown skin and foreign name as a newly minted American citizen than on Tuesday night. In India my coloring was too dark to be considered beautiful. Especially among my in-laws, I was often made to feel lesser than the paler women around. Never did a compliment escape their lips, often eyes washed over my ever too brown face and I could see bewilderment that I had made it into the clan. Here's me thumbing my nose at them.

Awwright.

The sun is shining and all is right with the world.

I really wouldn't have minded a stodgy older, white (sensible for the most part) man for a president either but his running mate, attractive though she maybe blinding all the beer guzzling crowd with her smug good looks. But the idea of a VP with a pregnant teenage daughter and belief that dinosaurs are a figment of one's imagination was downright scary.

Instead we have OBAMA. America is cool again (an American woman was in France or Spain and someone came up to her and hugged her thanking her for voting for Obama. She said this.) So true. This cool country that has been way too uncool is now cool again.

And history has been made.

I just ran to my local 7/11 this morning and bought a newspaper from Wednesday. I've saved this for my son to look at when twenty years from now he'll (hopefully) be shocked that this was such a big deal when he was a kid.

Yes it will be the day when this isn't historic news, when this is newsworthy but for other reasons besides color and race.

This victory meant so much to me especially because as I was watching the numbers trickling in and CNN making their predictions, I was finishing a biography of one of my favorite writers--Oscar Wilde. Wilde spent two years doing hard labor for committing what was then a vile lewd act. He had an affair with a man--Lord Alfred Douglas. His father then took Wilde to court and got him convicted. Wilde wasn't able to enjoy the success of his brilliant play, my favorite piece of all time--The importance of being earnest' or celebrate its first printing. Both the play and the printed version came out without his name on it. I cannot imagine greater pain for a writer.

After his release, he couldn't write anymore. The time in jail and the ostracism he suffered as a result had stifled the creative life out of him. He died at the age of 46. How much more could have come from the man who penned 'the picture of dorian gray' and the 'happy prince.' and numerous plays beyond compare.

How far we have come now (even though California voted to uphold the ban on gay marriage). Their fight continues but at least they won't suffer as Wilde did. Race relations aren't smoothened just because of this new elected President. No sir.

We have come far and yet how much further we have to go.

But our new President is proof indeed that what the American people made happen on Tuesday is a leap forward. All may not be right yet. But surely, in the future, taking the right steps forward, there is hope.

I cannot end without saying this about the educated, graceful, role model for all girls everywhere--Michelle Obama. She's all black, she's the first lady and she's the sister in the white house.

You go girrrrl.

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