Big Fat Reflective Wed

On the very day " 'Mericuh" elected its first African American president I finished (well, almost-- I have about an hour to go on her) Elmira-- my first African American character, and sculpture. Tendrils of energy people.

Elmira is listening to music and hopefully depicts the rapturous feeling I wanted to capture with her. She is actually much more sensual, with a tendency to lose herself entirely in the music, like me, and her body begins to groove of its own accord. I didn't have the time to give her the body I wanted, but still think I imbued her with that joy and receptivity and love of music. Sometimes it's like whatever it is already exists and you're just putting steel around it. That's how she felt. You rock Elmira.

Had President Elect Obama not won you would have encountered a giant test pattern today and a simple headline reading -- "Sue's head has exploded". When Bush was reelected I stayed up until roughly 3 a.m. watching the returns in shocked disbelief. Ultimately the only comfort I was able to find was listening to The Mamas and The Papas "Dream A Little Dream" over and over and crying. I considered roaming the country wearing a sign-- "Real-live Liberal" like some sideshow freak. Clearly I was "other".

Yesterday in my little corner of the world people overwhelmingly supported Obama. People are paradoxes. Nothing can surprise me now, on either end of the spectrum. A horrid woman running for congress (incumbent) on a platform of divisiveness was victorious. Her acceptance speech was a far cry from John McCain's gracious call for unity. She vows to return to Washington to "keep fighting!" This is the same harpie you may have seen on national T.V. accusing Obama and many of her fellow congressmen of being "un-American." I literally hate her, even though I know this is playing right into everything I can't stand in her. By feeling this way I'm just being the through the looking-glass version of her-- "ish". I'm trying to calm the tiny warrior in my heart.

Meanwhile at a time when nearly everyone world-wide is fearful about the economy and even liberals ran on tax cuts here in the U.S. -- people in my little corner (MN) voted to raise their own taxes to support the arts and environment. This morning a bubble of hope is rising within me based on this and Mr. Obama infectious idealism, but it's tempered by the knowledge that people continue to be paradoxes. (I guess that's what makes them interesting to write about.)

To my friends around the world (hey-- I've seen you, I have feedburner, don't freak out) I can only say although culturally we are a younger people, and that does fundamentally affect the way we see the world and ourselves, we are as good, bad and ugly as humans everywhere. The neo-cons haven't vaporized overnight. Elizabeth Hasslebeck's head sadly didn't actually explode. People are still inexplicably threatened by homosexuality, and other things they don't understand (math-- shudder). We need to not only strive to be our best selves, but to try to excavate the good in all of those around us, to tease it out, not hammer them into submission-- much as the tiny warrior would enjoy kicking some conservative ass.

With this new administration we have an opportunity to finally do some good and re-join the world community in attempting to solve some of the problems in our big / small / horrible / wonderful world. Let's move forward with courage, tolerance, patience, and intention.

I think we could all probably use a does of mellow this morning, so take a listen to "Hallelujah" in the player by Rufus Wainwright. It's nearly light out and Elmira is waiting.