The night of November 4th, 2008 brought with it an awesome and emotionally sweeping moment.
Many remember exactly where they were, what they were doing and who they were with when they heard the news.
I would see footage of people storming the streets in jubilation in countries all over the world. I continue to hear stories of people crying that evening– not the type of tears that leak out that you try in vain to hold back, but huge, purging tears that you remember leaving your body for a long, long time.
For hundreds of millions of people around the world to reach this happy ending, thousands of volunteers had to dedicate countless hours, days, weeks and months behind the scenes, on the streets and in the trenches doing the work that needed to be done. They did this at tremendous cost and tremendous personal sacrifice. I was one of these volunteers. More...
What you are about to read is more than my best attempt to tell a story; it is my attempt to state as clearly as possible, for the record and to the best of my knowledge things left unresolved to many. It is also personal attempt to turn the page and move on.
I seek a sense of closure prior to complete resolution. Many details have been left out. Some are by choice (names). Some are by circumstance (facts and information). I hope as time goes on, more details will emerge and the full scope and breadth of this story will evolve and become clearer after this original posting. I do not know whether or not this story comes too late or too early, but I feel the need to begin.
For more reasons than one, I could not find the words to tell this story on the morning of November 5th. I needed to allow the dust to settle and everything to sink in. I also needed rest and distance. It took me a while to realize that a story does exist here, it’s just not the story that at one point I thought I might tell.
If the legacy is that a former teacher, a current salesman, a father with two kids and a mortgage – just a regular guy – can be an active part of the civic process and make a positive impact, then I’ll take that, and I will be proud.
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