Emmy Lou's Adventures: Mommy's Little Adventure

On Saturday, I had a little adventure of my own. My friend Mel, and I, walked down to Wilmington's train station at nine in the morning to wait for Barack Obama to arrive. Wilmington was his first stop on his whistle stop train tour to the White House. He was actually picking up Joe and Dr. Jill Biden, as they live in Greenville, DE (suburb of Wilmington). They were not slated to arrive until 1pm, but we knew that we had to get to the station early. And, oh man! Was it coooold! In the past week we have been experiencing the coldest weather that the Mid-Atlantic has seen in several years. And, I know this is nothing compared to the 30 below that my parents and Paul's parents are experiencing but it was still cold.

Our excitement started at Dunkin' Doughnuts on West ninth and then we headed down the six or seven blocks to the train station. Poor Mel had to pee because of the coffee, but there was no porta-potty in sight! When we arrived, we stood in a long line to get through security tents set up outside of Riverside Park. Once through security, we were able to get into the park by about 9:45 and then ran to get as close to the stage as possible. We were probably about 150 feet away.

And then...we waited. Toes frozen, noses running, pulses rushing, and, in Mel's case, bladders filling! Thankfully, there were all sorts of things to keep us occupied during the four-hour wait. For one, Mel and I had not really chatted since before Christmas so we filled each other in on all the goings on. Two, people were squeezing, nudging, and budging their ways to get closer to the stage so it sparked a few tempers. We were already packed as tight as sardines so this made everybody irritable and defensive. One lady directly behind actually us lit up a cigarette. Are you kidding me? People had their children there and we were all so close that I could smell aftershave and egg-breath. Lighting up in this crowd was unbelievably selfish. So, there was a bit of an argument and in the end, she put it out. A total of three people fainted close by us; perhaps they had a touch of claustrophobia? Three times the medics rushed into the crowd that was already bursting at the seams. It was all very interesting and, at times, kind of scary. I understand why people felt compelled to bring their children but I felt scared for them. There was a seven-year-old with his mom right next to us and every time the crowd swelled or pushed, I tried my best to hold my ground so that I wouldn't fall into them.

So, finally at about 12:3o Mayor Baker, Senator Jack Markell and others came out to say a few things. Then Delaware's very own Joe Biden came out with his wife, Jill. He talked about his daily commute to Washington everyday for the past 36 years and how that daily commute began right there at the Wilmington train station. He quoted James Joyce, saying "When I die, Dublin will be written on my heart." He then said, "In that same way, when I die, Delaware will be written on my heart." I am sure his wife had something to do with this, as she was an English teacher, but I was so impressed and proud in that moment. For those of you who don't know, I was on the verge of becoming a Joyce scholar before I was decided on Shakespeare. I have a great love for Joyce and this mention of him made me love Biden even more.

Then...Barack and Michelle Obama alighted the stage. They announced him and the crowd roared, but I couldn't see him because I am so short. There were two very tall people in front of me and I couldn't maneuver enough to get a good sight of him. And I started to cry. For the first time in my life, I am truly proud of my country. I have hope in the future of our country and faith in our new administration. This is the only presidential election that has gone the way I voted. I made this pilgrimage (though small as it was) and I was disappointed and exasperated that I couldn't get a good view of him. I could hear his voice. Then, I caught a quick glance. But the crowd shifted again. Then, I caught another glance and lost it again. It went on like this until they all left the stage. It also didn't help that directly behind Obama was a TV spotlight. Even if I would have been tall enough to see, I would have been blinded by the light.

Obama spoke a great deal about Biden and Delaware, which I thought was truly kind. This stop on the train tour was intended to focus on Biden and his hometown more than anything else. It shows a generous nature that Obama honored Biden in that way. Obama also spoke about the winter cold, but that spring would come again. Hope. That is what won our hearts and the election.

I hope that some day I will be able to articulate to Emmeline how important this moment in history was. Obama's presidency is unprecedented in many ways and is important to so many people for a great number of reasons. From my perspective (though young and naive as I am) I can see my country changing. I can see the tides turning. I can see a new era of democracy and policy. I have faith. I have hope. I can see a better future for my child: better public education, a cleaner earth, and opportunities that go across class boundaries. How profound it is to live in a country where the bright dawn is on the horizon.