On fire and cold nights

I'm pretty bleary-eyed from the cold walk home, and the beer before that, so I'll do what I can here.  I can not accurate or sufficiently express my elation at the result of the election.  I called my mom on my cell about 6pm New Zealand Time, just after Obama's acceptance speech, so she could hear the people running up and down Cuba Street here in Wellington shouting "Obama won, Obama won!"

The excitement was palpable in the Irish pub I was in, and it was indistinguishable who was a Kiwi, a Canadian, a German, or American.  We were all busting our guts out with joy.  The pub was packed between 5 and 6pm during the concession and acceptance (and dead silent during the speeches), though I'd been there since about 4pm.  My buddies from uni had got there between 2 and 3, so they were well and truly gone with drink.  

After the election was called for Obama I went and grabbed a pint of stout, and the Irish barman said "Only that, love?!  Your man's just won!"  

Today was Guy Fawkes Day here as well, though, so I wanted to keep a clear enough head for the fireworks.  Which were gorgeous.  I'm not exactly sure how Guy Fawkes trying to blow up Parliament is connected to a 15 minute fireworks display over the harbor, but I'm just going with it.  And somehow the smell of gunpowder seemed appropriate to the day.  I can still hear people setting off fireworks outside in my neighborhood, now at 10:30 at night.

It's spring here, still cold with a harsh chill to the wind.  But there is occasionally a warmth, a sun break, and the promise of summer.  I felt that tonight, watching Obama's acceptance speech in the pub, clapping and hooting.  And also watching McCain's gracious concession speech - where was that McCain these last few months?  Nobility wasn't dead, it just was advised out of the campaign.  Death by committee.

There are many changes ahead, friends and relations.  Sadly it looks as though proposition 8 passed in California, banning gay marriage, further proof that our nation is in need of work and a strong dose of compassionate thinking.  But I hope that with better times will come broader minds, and that we can shoulder together as Americans, no matter where we are, and make our nation better, and thus make the world a better place.  Because what I have learned from living abroad, if nothing else, is that as America goes so goes the world.

Let us melt cold cynicism on a pyre of hope.  As Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, we have been sick, but now we are well, and there's work to be done.