Waiting

I arrived at Pentagon City at 5:20 am. I got breakfast from Au Bon Pain and sat to eat. There was an other early bird just like me sitting at the table. We both agreed that it was wise to come early to avoid long lines and crowds.

Later, I was joined by a fellow AmeriCorps Alum, George (I have change his name to protect his privacy). He too was early coming from Virginia. Mind you, AmeriCorps Alums were scheduled to meet at Pentagon City at 9:30 am. George and I had to wait for 4 hours. The wait wasn't so bad. Within that 4 hours, I got to learn all about George, his family, his work and he learned about me.

George and I talked especially of this idea of community. For example, George had lived across from his neighbor for years and never spoke to him until he met him on the train that morning. Here we were talking, sharing our life stories as if we were long lost friends, and he had lived across from his neighbor for years and never spoke to him.

Obama rise to power and fame over the course of two years and the half was no accident I think. It took the "villagers" of America to put him there. We, as Americans came together in the "plava hut" in our communities across this great nation and agreed that he would be our ruler. It took us reaching across the aisle to our neighbors that we don't normally speak to and sharing our experiences with perfect strangers. You see, George is a republican and I am a Democrat, together on November 4, 2008 we both voted the same; we voted for Obama for president.

This doesn't mean that all Republicans and Democrats voted for Obama on November 4Th, but in George's story lives this idea of community, we the people, working together across barriers for the common good.