| My 'story' I just uploaded to change.gov | 10 comments |
 2008-11-17 10:11, by Julie Solheim-RoeI was raised on the myth of Camelot by a boomer mother, born in a post-Doris Day world who just sorta 'missed' the 60s, perhaps due to her reaction to the killings... So in our isolated world in an idillic suburb outside Portland Oregon, I was raised on this myth... honestly believing the civil rights movemetn had happened and that indeed women and 'blacks' were free and equal. I remember going to a 'kinder-college' whereby the teacher taught us about civil liberties and even the right to burn the flag! Wow! Well like the rest of my Gen X, the 80s were a terrible wake up call. I was a gifted honors student who basically 'sold out' to the yuppie dream -- once I realized with so much disheartened apathy, that the myth was just that.... Lapse dissolve to a decade of self-help LA lifestyle personal 'work' later, I left the meaningless corporate grid sell-out game to a road less travelled... at 32 years old I ran for the olde countries, based myself in the UK and did research on a deep and meaningful book... got married, had a child, started and closed a business and alas after 9 years ran back to the America of my dreams... I was registered in Oregon so got to vote by mail there although Chantal my beautiful 7 year old and I, are now ensconced back in LALA lande... Meeting Bill Clinton in Oregon was a highlight of my life. I loved the Clintons due to their passion and well, internationally he is so VERY highly regarded by the intelligentsia for his work in Israel, Ireland, and Africa... Just before I left the UK, I had 'fortnightly' meetings with American moms. There were 4 of us. Two were on the fence toward Obama and 2 were on the fence toward Hilary. I was in the latter camp. I really wanted to move back to America and change my mind.. but I truly didn't know you well enough and had really always been a fan and supporter of the Clinton's core principals... but everything changed when Hillary stepped down. What a week! Her speech and YOURS - allowed me to move forward behind you... When I was in the UK my favourite speech you gave was on Race. I was sorely disappointed how the full transcript and video was rarely showed by the mainstream media... I was also btw very disappointed in your FISA vote, and feel that was giving away Constitutional rights! But Denver and Palin changed everything. You became stronger, and the Movement became more important. I began to trust you. We all did. And also it was as you said, not really about YOU - it is about US. We ARE all in it together. I love oration. I was taught to recite the Gettysberg Address by heart at 12 years old. We became deeply moved and inspired by your words, and your promises, and your AUTHENTICITY. Emails about 'the truth' became stupendous. We gave small amounts here and there, bought the T shirts and the bumper stickers, and even made phone calls. I remember when I was at your Victory speech party in Hollywood, everyone was talking about their personal email they got before you addressed the crowds at Grant Park! I seriously couldn't believe it. It was as if my birth and the purpose and meaning of the times I was born -- was FINALLY full circle. Like Camelot was a brief shining moment. And this is the Aquarian Age. The Real Deal. Not the New Deal. But the REAL Deal !!! i was overwhelmed with hope, longing, a sense of History and a sense of Purpose, for the collective... not at all attached to my own story... but totally enthralled with the story we are here, to now, write, and rewrite, together! If it weren't, I feel, for mobilized INDEPENDENT media by people like Moveon, CommonDreams, and Huffington Post, you would not have made it. I think you ran an unprecedented campaign, but also if it weren't for H. Wasserman and the guys that were exposing the GOP corruption in Ohio 2004 - it would not have gone the way we saw it. I personally would bet a million dollars that you won by a much larger percentage! I think everyone knows this is true... One word of advice -- nip that media elite in the butt with their insane rhetoric that this is NOT a sea-change and that you only won by pretending to be centre-right! Your mandate is PROGRESSIVE! Please keep it that way - that's what the people want!! Finally my daughter Chantal, 7, British born, would always say when she met a McCain supporter... 'but he is not going to help our country'... !!!! And I am sooo happy I came home to be a part of all of this! What an honour! What a blessing! What a TRIUMPH of the human spirit! We did it!!!! |