We've Come This Far By Faith....Most Meorable Moments of the Campaign

When responding to the ladies of the Kitchen Table about the most memorable moments of the campaign ...my testimony went like this...

Dr. Harris Lacewell explained "she called it" when making a prediction on CNN in the 15 minutes of pre commentary preceding the Speech in Philly on Race...

"I called it" too and there are too many moments to name but when I learned that he won the Iowa Caucus I was returning to Los Angeles from Christmas Holiday in Birmingham, AL and I called my twin sister and simply said in a message (in my "Best Man" movie imitation of the pimp who comments "that fool 'bout to fall" as Taye Diggs character was being held over the balcony by Morris Chestnut's character) ....."This Fool 'Bout to Be President!"

(I couldn't believe I still had friends at this time about who to support in the primary)

My first time watching the Yes We Can Music/Speech Video ...a campaign that raised that level of artistry was Beautiful too me...I am musician who only played clarinet for 2 years (in middle school :-) but my parents exposing me to the joy of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder (and all things 70's soul) when I was YOUNG did something to me...music has for me filled gaping holes left by sorrow (the death of my mother when I was 11) and reading the excerpt of the speech used in the song brought me to tears and floored me all at once. I hold back the tears as I type because there have been so many moments personal and through the media that makes what I believe will be triumph tomorrow almost pyrrhic....I believe the joy of destination will be beyond measure, but this campaign... what a journey ...

We Have Come This Far By Faith...
Danna

Don't call it a comeback...it is actually

Everyday I have these thoughts I want to share. Everyday I don't. I want to share that I am thrilled to be alive in a time such as the one we are in. Despite what the economy and the daily news tells us we have to look to powers of imagination and creativity that are greater than our world's circumstance might have us believe.

I am trying to get Obama elected and my heart aches daily for the women and children of the Darfur region whose plight doesn't crack the headlines or the feeds right now. My 20th year high school class reunion that was to take place 3 years ago (2005) in New Orleans was rained out...if you know what I mean. As we plan for a 25th I still worry about New Orleans. What is the progress on the Crescent City? Katrina's lessons prepared us for Gustave, Ike and Holly I think her name was, but where do we go from here? We keep striving and believing.

I am a lifelong learner currently working as a Math Intervention teacher trying to find my place in the world. Despite my skill area of math my greatest days as a teacher are spent listening to the lectures of History and English teachers who are working to shape thought through the lens of our country's ill written history. They both do an awesome job of aiding standard texts with truth without cracking the framework of the state's content standards or providing top notch instruction. Lincoln freed very few slaves....he's still a genius and inspired others to make change that moved us toward a more perfect union and the abolition of slavery, but I repeat the brilliantly written Emancipation Proclamation freed VERY FEW slaves...

If you have ever read this blog, you know I am driven by the life of my beautiful son who gives his all everyday to life and living even when his bird has died and his mother can't get to the pet store fast enough to buy African Finches instead of parakeet particularly since this is the 3rd parakeet to die and the first for him to actually grieve.

I grieve too this time because I put a lot of time, energy and emotion into keeping this one from the great "Up Yonder" within 2-3 months of purchase (like the others). She seemed to be doing so well. For that matter so was I. I changed water everyday and food every week. I did a big cage clean up about two weeks ago. I felt like I was ushering in a new era for us. Last week I took my eye of the ball, the bird actually. She ate all her food up in a week (which she never does before I change it) and her water evaporated and I missed it.

Between Wednesday and Friday it all went wrong. Friday night upon our return home from the Debates, she was gone. We should be able to get the African Finches this weekend and prayerfully, we will make it to 6 months with them.

I finally made it back to blogging because I was inspired by the writings of Dr. Yolanda Pierce and Dr. Melissa V. Harris-Lacewell (check their blog here on blogspot called "The Kitchen Table" IT REALLY COOKS!!!!), the blogging of Shavar Ross and learning that if you are a procrastinator like me and have not filed your taxes this year....the deadline for filing in time to qualify for the stimulus check is October 15th ...whew I was relieved ....3 months ago a friend mentioned file by October and as I pulled W2's on Sunday the 28th, I discovered the most important 1 (my primary full time job) is missing. I put in a request today to get a copy. I also logged on to turbo tax to get the party started. I am trying to get right...

I also made the decision today to actively pursue graduate studies next year and try to build the Career that I think I was supposed to have... an intersection between African American Studies and Filmmaking....the journey thus far though has been AMAZING!!!!