And mabruuk, Middle East, America voted your voice.
I am proud to see a chapter in the American struggle for civil rights symbolically closed, it truly is a historic moment. Some of the first race riots of the 60s were held on my front lawn in the Bay area, I attended civil rights gatherings as a seven year-old with Stanford students, Gayle King (Oprah’s BFF) was my baby-sitter and tuned me in to the Motown Sound right along with the Beatles.
But as everyone has stated, the role of president isn’t going to be about race. Our new president has a huge task ahead, many errors to fix and many inflated expectations to be gently dismantled to do it. May God grant him wisdom beyond his years and experience to do it, to this end I will pray.
UPDATE: Transcript of McCain’s concession speech. Well done, Senator.
November 5, 2008 at 7:08 am |
May my husbands job stability be safe under a new Presidential elect .
May God be with you….when you do not have my husband protecting you and your children.
November 5, 2008 at 7:41 am |
Live from an American house, shared the joy of following up CNN, waiting for new projections, and finally screaming for joy to see Obama’s votes jumping from 199 to 279 passing the 270.
History was made today! I hope he will make a difference..
November 5, 2008 at 8:36 am |
It’s a historic moment on so many different levels. Let’s truly hope he makes this world a better place to live in. So much weight is on Obama’s shoulder
November 5, 2008 at 9:37 am |
Ameen.
November 5, 2008 at 12:06 pm |
3NBG, I am hearing you, hon. God is on the throne, ‘the heart of the king (and president) is in the hand of the Lord, like rivers of water, He turns it wherever He wishes’ Proverbs 21:1. Trust you got my email, if not, go check!
Shining, I am so glad you were in my home country to experience this! NOW, tho, you need to pray for that difference as much as you prayed for his election. If not more. When the media creates an icon to the degree he has been, they will eat him alive when he doesn’t do things the way they want.
KJ, indeed, some levels I’m not crazy about, some I am scared blank-less. I will be praying for this man, that he will have the humility to give God that weight and seek His face for wisdom. Personally, I am hoping he continues his flip-flops on several of my fav levels.
Um Omar, yes, indeed. What a daunting task.
November 5, 2008 at 1:09 pm |
Allah Iybarek Feeki
Although President Obama wasn’t only the Middle East’s favourite choice, but the whole world’s:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7606100.stm
“Democrat Mr Obama was favoured by a four-to-one margin across the 22,500 people polled in 22 countries. “
November 5, 2008 at 1:38 pm |
Gayle King was your babysitter!? Still so many interesting things I don’t know about you after all these years : )
Very nice post and nice that you included McCain’s concession speech. Despite the result I am feeling very patriotic today, in the best sort of way, I hope. There are somethings to be thankful for.
November 5, 2008 at 1:39 pm |
Bakazeezeh, VERY true!! But since the Middle East is my ‘waten of choice’ in the big world, I wanted to personalize it.
November 5, 2008 at 1:46 pm |
Desertmom, can’t believe I haven’t told you the rest of that story, it’s a doozy!
YUP, from Gayle King I learned the true meaning of being ’slapped upside the head’ with just a LOOK! Oh, and if we were messing with her Jergen’s lotion to get rid of our ‘leg ashes’ like the big girls, she’d scream: “What you girls think you doin’????”, we would RUN!. I was just one of her sister Lynnie’s pesky little white friends, but yea, we were close neighbors and I lived over at their house. I wrote her a fan letter this summer, but don’t know if it got to her.
Those are my EXACT sentiments, patriotism and thankfulness. Today is a good day to be an American Mom in Amman
November 5, 2008 at 3:01 pm |
Watching the race from here in Florida was a totally different experience..One can’t help but be excited..People here wanted change and they made it happen. For a Lebanese like me, an outsider, this is democracy at its best..
We are all happy and waiting for an “Obama” of our own.
November 5, 2008 at 3:53 pm |
Good perspective! (Gayle King, wow!)
November 5, 2008 at 4:19 pm |
Noura, did you know Indiana has a Lebanese governer and my district in Illinois had two Lebanese judges in the running? Although Obama was not my first choice, I wanted change to a different tune, his presidency can sustain the level of hope it has already for world citizens, it will make it right for me (until I start getting taxes through the nose. Then I will re-evalute
) I am happy for you to be a part of watching democracy in action!!!
Carol, yea, I didn’t even have to fake it this morning, it was my first reaction
. Well, ok, I did peek at the news before retiring…
And yea, about Gayle, I am the only one I know who has never watched Oprah {no TV} so I didn’t even know abut this connection until she was in Good Housekeeping two years ago. Imagine my surprise, Gayle who I drove crazy was FAMOUS!!
November 5, 2008 at 5:53 pm |
While I know the outcome wasn’t your preferred, I’m so glad the election is over and we can begin to move on. Like you, I have many hopes and the foremost of which is that Obama will find his own path to chnge that is at the right spee and in the right directions…
November 5, 2008 at 6:03 pm |
Bakazeezeh? LOL Where’d that come from?
November 5, 2008 at 7:49 pm |
MommaBean, you know, I was actually afraid for the nightmare scenario that McCain would win electoral and lose popular vote. Glad it’s over? ME TOO. No protracted recounts, chads, posturing. Big margin, fair play, God’s will done! Hey, your post was great. I hadn’t thought about the fact that BOTH of us knew we were voting in vain in terms of outcome, but in the true spirit of the ‘hallmark of American philosophy’.
Bakkouz, that is when you get a dyslexic blonde who likes to play with Arabic broken plurals to make-up ‘khalto’ names for her fav bloggers! My personal fav broken plural: bazazeer for bazaraat (from doctor/docateer). Verbs too: “Qwayiztuuni” for ‘you made me good ‘ . It guarantees a laugh every time, and I always learn the proper word.
November 6, 2008 at 10:40 am |
Kinzi, have to say one election with protracted discussion of hanging chads and dimples is more than enough for a lifetime. You know, the last 3 elections I’ve voted in were in vain, and I knew it. I’m getting kind of used to it. Maybe I should re-register to vote in a state that is closer aligned to my politics… Oh, wait, there isn’t one. Maybe that’s because there’s also not a party aligned to my politics. Ah well… one of these days.
Oh, and like you, I make up words all the time. Although, my signature is responding to any rote greeting with “allah y3afeek?” You know like, someone says Mabruk, me “Allah y3afeek?” The question in my voice always prompts the correct response… Teehee. I’m actually learning a few of them. (Oh and yes, I know that that’s not the right one for Mabruk. I’ve got that one down, finally.)
November 7, 2008 at 2:11 am |
Coongratulations Kinzi for you, for the americans, for us and for the world. Everyone loves Obama
. The world needed him.