Barack Obama Visits Ohio!

Yesterday Barack Obama visited Ohio & I was fortunate enough to get into the rally & witness history in the making! The day started around 12:30pm when me & my co-worker, Jaclyn arrived at Dublin Coffman High School in Dublin, OH (a suburb just NW of Columbus about 15 min. from me). The gates were scheduled to open at 4:30pm & the program was to start at 6:45pm, so we didn't know how early to get there (tickets were free but on a first come first serve basis). Our timing turned out to be pretty good & we actually got there early enough that there was still parking at the high school. We were probably in the first 50-100 group of people there. The weather here yesterday was beautiful, so it was a perfect day to camp out & wait for the gates to open. Coincidentally, Aleesha's childcare provider, Ms. Shalonda & her family were there & in line just a few people ahead of us! I thought the day would feel long just waiting around, but oddly enough it seemed to go pretty quick. I packed lots of snacks & water, chatted w/ others about the excitement of this election, checked out the vendors' Obama gear, & of coursed people-watched. It was also an excellent opportunity for me to get to know my co-worker better. I found out that Jaclyn is extremely passionate about politics & social causes & has been regularly volunteering for Barack Obama's campaign. Around 3pm they came around passing out our tickets & then we all started getting excited! Initially I didn't think that the crowd looked too bad, but at one point, Jaclyn had gone back to her car & when she returned she told me that the police were diverting people to other sides of the school so it wouldn't get too crowded in our area. Around 4pm they started moving us through security & into the gates (my apple got confiscated although my baby carrots & cherry tomatoes made it through). Once we got in the gates it was kind of a mad house w/ people wanting to fill in the front rows of the bleachers (the field was reserved for special volunteers) while the volunteers tried to convince people to fill in the back. At first I didn't understand why the volunteers would think that those of us who had waited for four hours would want to move back & let the late-comers get front row seating. But since I tend to be one follow directions, I paid attention (instead of arguing & refusing to move like some people) & boy am I glad I did. What the volunteers were trying to explain was that we had entered on the opposite end of the stadium from where the podium was set-up (which was kind of difficult to tell at first w/ all of the other equipment on the field for various media) & so we would actually have a better view the further down we went. So although we were a few rows back- maybe 10 or so- we were right on the side of the podium & had a great view! (We also ended up right in front of Ms. Shalonda & crew & I also discovered my doctor two rows behind us). Once we were in our seats, I had a bird's eye view of the crowd & could not believe it. There were four different lines coming into the stadium each with no visible end in sight. We could also see the highway where traffic to exit was at a standstill (& the exit was a good five miles from the school). It was amazing to see so many people come out to show their support for Barack Obama! And what a diverse crowd-all ages & colors! When it was all said & done, both sides of the bleachers were filled & so was the football field. At one point I looked around & everything felt sort of surreal to me as I looked out over the crowd, music was playing, there was a slight breeze, & the sun was just starting to set--I closed my eyes & just took it all in. It was a beautiful moment in time & I will never forget it! The program began around 6:15 w/ the Pledge of Allegiance & then a prayer followed by various local democrats who are running for office this fall. Our Governor, Ted Strickland, was next, followed by our former Congressman, John Glenn (the astronaut), who introduced Joe Biden & Barack Obama! They both came out together, with Joe speaking first. The first thing I was struck by (besides how wild the crowd went when they came out) was Barack's demeanor while Joe was speaking. Its hard for me to describe, but he just seemed so comfortable & casual, like I could have walked right up to him & struck up a conversation. Someone in the crowd waved to him while Joe was giving his speech & my view was so good, that I could actually see him grin & wave back! Although I was there primarily to see Barack Obama, I was very impressed w/ Joe Biden. He also had a very natural feel about him as he spoke. Very charming & well received by the crowd. Of course, though, nothing could compare to the reception Barack received when he finally took the podium! It was so exciting to actually be there in person to see this brilliant man & orator share his plans for our country! It was amazing to see how excited everyone was to hear his vision. (Jaclyn pointed out how much could be accomplished if each person there volunteered just one day). Even for myself, although I feel it is my duty to vote & always do so since so many before me fought for me to have that right, I have never felt what I would consider excitement when it comes to politics. But after seeing Barack Obama (& the whole experience) I have definitely decided that I need to volunteer some of my time for this campaign. He truly inspires hope in others that together we can make great strides in improving our country! In fact, that is how I felt watching him--inspired! I am going to post some pix & attempt to post a couple of video clips that I took w/ my camera (I've never used the video on my camera before, so if I actually figure out how to post it, it will be sideways b/c I didn't realize I had to turn my camera-sorry). And I should add that last night & this morning I didn't have a voice from screaming so loud. "Yes we can!"