I still cannot believe it. I cannot believe that I witnessed one of the most historical events this world has ever seen. I cannot believe I witnessed Barack Obama become the president of the United States of America. Few words can explain how touching the experience was. I was one of the fortunate people who went as a guest of a friend who had a ticket to the rally. I was with 5 of my best friends and we rushed from Lincoln Park to Grant Park as soon as we could.
As we got off the train at Library/State/Van Buren, we found ourselves running and skipping with excitement as we made our way to the park. Everywhere I looked, I saw street vender after street vender selling buttons, t-shirts, all kinds of Obama memorabilia.
I was surprised at how quickly we got into the event. Here is what we did… we went through about 3 security check-points, ran down a hill, and pushed our way into the crowd as close up as we could get. We could see the jumbo screen very well. I remember standing there, looking around and seeing the magnificent buildings of Chicago, each lit with the colors of our flag, the letters U-S-A on one… and for the first time in a long time, I felt truly proud to be an American.
What got me the most was seeing the emotions of the people around me. Two ladies beside me could not hold back their tears while a married couple on the other side of me couldn’t stop cheering with excitement. There was such a camraderie among all of the people there- we all felt such hope in the election of Barack Obama and something in us made it so easy to share that with complete strangers.
I admit that I was fearful of going because of riots, violence, etc. The rally was actually the complete opposite. It was surprisingly chill, relaxed, jovial, and hands down the most moving experience of my life.
It is so hard for me to even fathom the enormity of this event and how this event will be a part of me forever. I also find it hard to believe that I was part of something that the whole entire world was watching. I feel a sense of hope and pure joy about the future that I have never had before. And I love that I can share that with millions of other people.
Video from the Obama Rally soon to come!
