Impassive Observer

It sucks sometimes, being a journalist.

I like my job and all. But while you people all get to be a part of history, to live in the moment and take in the emotions of the events around you, to feel the news, I sit at a desk, thoroughly objective and unemotional. Only later, when it's all over, can I actually stop to think about the words I've been shuffling around and checking for typos and actually experience things, belatedly.

So it is that I sit here now, with CNN on behind me, finally home from a long, long day at work, taking it all in. President Obama. President-elect Obama. Obama beat McCain. Obama actually did it.

And in truth, I didn't think he would. Honestly, after the last two elections, I felt sure that he'd lose somehow. Even when the polls showed him ahead, I thought, "well, sure, but he's black -- when people get to the polls, the racism they didn't want to admit to a pollster will probably come out, sadly."

But no. He really did it. American elected a young, well-educated, black president.

It's history, real history -- not like every election is history, a line in a textbook, but a real, honest-to-goodness moment in history. This is our JFK, our young voice of hope, the pivotal political event of my generation.

And I'm really proud of America tonight, like I haven't been in a long, long time. America showed tonight that we will elect a black man; that we will elect someone who's intelligent; that youth isn't a bad thing (and hell, look at all of us and those younger than us getting out to vote -- awesome!).

It's truly a great day for America. And I have hope, real hope, like we haven't had in years -- I really feel that this country might just take a turn for the better, that brighter days really might be ahead.