8 Runs in 7 Outs and Obama
Two of the most remarkable and memorable nights of my life have taken place in the last month. These weren’t transcendent church-like experiences like the one Hendrik Hertzberg so elegantly blogged, but they were charged by a rare and too-often-missing connectedness with my neighbors. They took place in sports bars, of all places.
Three weeks ago I went to Sonny Mclain’s to watch game 5 of the ALCS – the game started at a weird 5 PM and the venue was impromptu so I was solo. I am a rabid Red Sox fan though I almost always watch them at home, but at about 3 in the afternoon I decided I wanted to watch the game with other people. In a packed and die-hard bar we saw a depressing end to-the-season season funeral transformed during the course of 7 outs into an embrace-a-stranger-in-a-hug euphoria. During a massive economic tremor. An uncommonly emotional night about family and place came from out of nowhere. But that was nothing compared to the election today.
My friends who read this blog know I’ve been sweating this election for a long time. And so have they, its probably why we’re friends. Voting involved a line and some intense neighborly banter. Everyone in the office voted. Jen (who phone banked over the weekend) and I met our great friends Mark and Tania at Busby’s – which is totally nondescript sports bar in Santa Monica that is always packed – to witness the election tonight. And people were cheering like crazy and let’s just say it got really dusty in there during the acceptance speech. (Best speech I have EVER heard). There is so much patriotism in the air tonight (media!!) and it feels so empowering because its in abrupt contrast with a false and ultimately harmful impostor. And he’s black?!? On election night Obama feels like a gift to the nation.
And I won $1500 bucks on Obama futures!!! Yeah!!
Posted: November 4th, 2008 under politics, sports, travel.
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