While thinking of the entire campaign and my involvement in it for 21 months, I felt inspired to write a poem in an attempt to summarize all of my emotions. It was difficult to put 21 months and so many experiences into words but this was what came through my fingers from my brain. I hope you like it and feel free to share it with others.
One Citizen
I am just a citizen.A citizen of my town, Rock Island,Of my state, Illinois,Of my country, America.I am just a citizen.One who admired a senator.A Senator from my state.A Senator at the state level.A Senator at the national level.I am just a citizen.Who listened to a speech,Who read about his history,Who came to volunteer.I am just a citizen.Inspired by a man.Inspired by a message,A message of HOPE,A message of CHANGE.I am just a citizen.I felt it was my duty,My time to give something back,My time to help a man.I am just a citizen. Knocking on strangers’ doors,Calling people in other states,Reaching out to others with my optimism.I am just a citizen.Longing for something new.Something better for my child,Something better for my grandchild,Something better for this world.I am just a citizen.A citizen who believed.A citizen who had faith.A citizen who gave.A citizen who is proud.I am just a citizen.One of millions,One who held a piece of history in her hand.One renewed by our ability to CHANGE.To CHANGE our country, our world,To CHANGE how people act.I am just a citizen.Sitting in the background,Listening, watching, admiring.I am just one.Proud of what you represent.Proud I shook your hand,Proud I gave my time.I am just a citizen.Who thanks you!R. Kelinson01/19/2009 (cr)
I was a ten. I was for a long, long, time. I was in the top ten too, before the new numbering system. I really thought that something was going to be awarded to the top ten. Guess I live in a fantasy world.
I have now gone down to a six. It doesn't take much to lose ground here these days. I gave of myself and neglected many other things I should have been paying attention to in my life. I gave it all up to see Barack elected. I was true to this site numerous times a day for 21 months. I did all of it to see Barack elected. I would do it all over again and never look back once. I gave to my community, my state,my nation, my world. I contributed. I am proud.
But now it is time to move forward. I will never forget all of this in fact I look back on my experience everyday. Someday, I will once again get to see our next President. I will once again make phone calls, knock on doors, attend events, host events, and work events. But it will never be the same.
As I watch the inauguration Tuesday I will stand proud. I will have a happy heart knowing I had a piece of this history.
Thank you Barack Obama and all of the field organizers I had the pleasure of meeting and working with for 21 months.
Good bye!
Tonight as we usher in the beginning of a new year, we can all be thankful that in 19 days we will have a new President, Barack Obama. For me, this will be one of the very best new year's in my lifetime!
May we all be blessed with happiness, health, and prosperity in 2009. I know change is right around the corner. We have absolutely no place to go but upward. BArack will lead us on the climb back up!
I just called to cancel a hotel room that I had booked almost one year ago for the inauguration. At the time I booked it the price of the room with a king size bed was $89.00 per night. When I called tonight to cancel the room the manager told me it was now going for $300.00 per night.
WOW! Too bad I didn't auction it off on the web or this site. But I am an honest person and do not believe in taking advantage of a situation such as this. I did put it up on the site before cancelling so someone could have taken advantage of the hard to get room in DC.
Oh well, I wish the best to everyone lucky enough to be attending this huge event. I will be calling in to work, sitting in my house, and watching from our TV but my heart and my soul will be there along with the friends I have made through the Obama Campaign. Katie has promised me awesome pictures and a hug to Barack.
Happy Chanukah to all of my Jewish friends out there who are celebrating the first night tonight! Spin the dreidel, eat some latkes, and dance the night away. What else is ther in this horrid weather! May your first candle burn bright and illuminate the night.
Way back in January 2008, right after Barack Obama won the Iowa caucus, I made hotel reservations in Alexandria, VA for the Inauguration. I have two hotel rooms at two locations. I may not be using either one of them. If interested please email me at the following email: renseema@yahoo.com I will take first come first serve and will notify individually if you are the person who is fortunate enough to get the one hotel room for sure.
Both rooms are at nationally known hotels. Hampton Inn and Days Inn are the hotels. I will know by the end of this week if I am using either one of them.
Thanks and good luck.
Figures it takes an Iraqi to throw the shoes at Bush. Why didn't we think of that earlier! Seriously, I can think of something else we should have thrown at him but it isn't that hard, in fact, it is something my dog drops out in the yard a couple of times a day!
Hillarious video. Guess I am not, have never been a fan of the liar that is still sitting in the White House. Can't wait for the Obama's to occupy the Oval Office!!!!! Now that is a first family we can be proud of everyday!!!
We are so PROUD of Barack Obama and the entire First Family.
We are so embarrassed by the idiot we have as Governor!
I recently returned home from the Illinois Raising Student Achievement Conference in St. Charles, Illinois. The school where I am employed as a special education facilitator, was honored by being asked to present to other educators how our school redeemed itself and got off of the academic warning list.
While there I attended a workshop that one of the keynote speakers was conducting. He held a questions and answers session with the focus being why did we as educators go into the profession. His parents are both in education so he knows it was not for fame, glory, or money. He wanted to hear from us, the teachers, administrators, and other educators so he could share the information with other groups when he travels across the world.
There were the gushy stories. The stories that made us smile and reflect, or bring a tear into our eye. Everyone had a story to tell. My hand was in the air for a short time, but I was not called upon to share. Most of the stories were about seeing the light bulb turn on for their students or becuase a teacher had inspired them to go into the profession. I wanted to share some things that I was reflecting upon after the session. We can always discuss the positive things that brought us all to the world of education but here are some things I did not sign up for when becoming an educator.
1. Children calling staff filthy words.
2. Out of control parents screaming and yelling profanity at staff.
3. Children who are so angry due to factors in their lives that they swear at me or become so outraged they toss a chair, head butt a staff member, or tell another student they want to kill them.
4. Parents not sending their student to school becuase snow was in the forecast.
5. Students skipping school to have sex parties, and drinking parties.
6. Watching very pregnant middle school students walking through the building.
I could list severl more "things I did not sign up for", but I think you catch my drift. I wish the insanity would end. Maybe I will see it with new leadership in the White House. Maybe students and parents will learn to value the education system in the United States. We are fortunate to have many wonderful parents, students, and professionals in the field. Maybe one day.
At this time of the year we make a concerted effort to remember our blessings and give thanks. There are so many blessings, so much to be thankful for here in America and also in my personal life. Family, friends, health, and happiness come to mind immediately.
And now we have the blessing of a smart President who will be sworn in on January 20th. I am looking forward to the CHANGE we will experiencing in the days to come. I am thankful for the new first family.
It is too bad that the Republican supporters of John McCain had to try and ruin his ending speech by yelling and booing the name of our next President, Barack Obama.
May G-d protect our new first family.
I knew in my heart that we could win this race. ANd then when it was announced, the tears began to flow. I have been a part of history.
We must not stop the commitment to change. We must stay organized. We must continue to make our voices heard. We are a major part of this victory due to the organizing that has occurred on the campaign trail. We must continue.
Congratulations to everyone who has been a part of this movement and especially to Senator Barack Obama, his family, and friends.
YES WE DID!!!
After 21 long months on the campaign trail Barack Obama is set to make history tomorrow as he becomes the next President elect.
I cannot begin to recap the 20 months that I have personally been nvolved in this campaign for the Senator from my state of Illinois. All I can say is that every minute, every hour, every door that I knocked on, every phone call I made, all of the time that I took away from the typical things that I did prior to the campaign. all of the time that I took away from family, it has all been worth it.
I was involved in my neighboring state of Iowa. Can I tell you how very fortunate I have been to be involved in Iowa. First was all of the pre-caucus phone calling, door knocking, and events. The events! How very fortunate I have been to be able to work so many events in Iowa that Barack Obama recognizes me! I had the opportunity to also meet Michelle Obama a couple of times. And let's not forget the JJ event in Des Moines. John Legend opened the night with a few songs before we marched strong into the auditorium. We sat and waited for the speeches to begin for hours and then Barack was last! They definitely saved the best fr last! He took the walls down. His team of field organizers were so on top of things, so organized, from the time we held up a sign to the cheer we were to chant.
History. I have been a part of history that my baby grand daughter will study some day in her history class. She and I will sit togethr and look through my scrapbooks. We will chat of the importance of the election. She will know that her bubbe was so involved in the campaign not only for AMerica, but for her future.
Tomorrow evening I will be blogging my election night thoughts. Right now it is time to get some sleep before the polls open at 6:00 in Illinois and 7:00 in Iowa. I still have phone calls to make! So TTFN....
I am tired of getting the stupid McCain robo calls. I mean every night around 9:00 the phone rings, I jump to get it, and it is a stupid robo call. So far I have had Hockey mom, Tom Ridge, and tonight some other dumb robo.
Get these jerks off of my ILLINOIS phone lines.
