Everybody Won

It's interesting today. At my job, I've had a number of people stop my desk and offer me congratulations on last night's election.

 

"Congratulations."

 

So, maybe they're saying it because I did some work on behalf of the campaign. A couple nights of data entry, some phone calls and office duty on election day, but that's obviously not it. Besides, I try not to talk politics in the office, so most wouldn't even know.

 

"Congratulations, Alain. I'm sure last night was really great for you."

 

It's odd. It's as if what happened last night was just a victory for Democrats. Or African Americans. Or Americans born in Africa. Or Americans born in Africa to a white Muslim mother and a Black father.

 

That's clearly not it. And to think that is to totally miss the point. Everybody won last night. Even those who lost.

 

You know what happened last night? The politics of division died. The pursuiit of the 51 percent "f-you" majority expired. The concept that a good idea is a good idea, whether it has a D or an R attached to it, took root. (Even if the idea is from the Blue Enigma Party, which ran here in Delaware - though I'm not familiar with their platform).

 

And most importantly, the belief that "You can be whatever you want to be, if you work hard and believe in yourself" no longer has the twinge of emptiness in once held for some people in this country.

 

It also means no more excuses. Nobody's holding you down. So stop bitching and get to work.

 

And the last thing (a reallly cool thing): it's going to cause people who used to ignore each other for no goood reason to engage.

 

First, you'll make eye contact in the hallway, or at the grocery store, or on the street.

Tomorrow, you'll say hello.

Next week, you'll stop and say 'Boy, did you catch that ball game last night?'

 

And that's how it will begin. That's the small way we'll start "perfecting our union." We're not as different as our differences sugggest.

 

Everybody won. I believe that in my heart. And if you don't believe it now, just wait and see.

 

By the way, if you came to this post from my throwback jersey site, please disregard the man on the soapbox, and check out that awesome Phillies jersey at the bottom of the page.