how the election made me feel

i was too caught up in watching returns to post a picture last night, and i wanted to take the time to find one that's meaningful in some sense.

i'm not out of my mind with joy, but i do feel hopeful that there'll be change of the kind i like -- not necessarily sweeping progressive change all at once, i don't think that will happen. but calm, thoughtful, careful change towards building a society that's a little more fair to all its members. i like a president who inspires large numbers of people, not with empty propaganda, but with reasonable ideas; a president who urges people to be part of the political process, who doesn't make "community organizer" a dirty word, but instills respect for it because thousands and thousands of people are now new community organizers, and i think that's a hugely important part of the political infrastructure.