Red, White and Blue

TUESDAY, DAKAR—I woke up at 7:39 a.m. A few thousand miles away, New York City nightlife was just coming to an end. In Wisconsin many a busy college student no doubt poured over textbooks, the thought of sleep only a fleeting wish. Across the country, California had barely finished dinner.

I woke up and rubbed my eyes, surprised to actually find myself chilly in just underwear and a tank top. I spent a moment appreciating this new sensation, that of a cool breeze passing over my body. I had forgotten what it is like to wake up with such pleasantness. When my snooze went off again—7:40—I rolled over and got out of bed. Then I remembered what day it was.

In Senegal, it was November 4, 2008. At home, it was at varying stages of November 4, 2008. Election day. Here I was, miles and miles from my home turf, my country. Perhaps today will be one of the momentous historical moments of my lifetime as an American. At the least, it will be the culmination of a historic political battle. And I am not at home. But interestingly, it is okay. Even though it will be tomorrow for me before California polls even close, it is okay. In fact, I almost prefer it this way.

For much of my politically conscious life, my country’s politics have had one identity. And under this identity, many events have come and gone—heart wrenching tragedies, extreme economic difficulties and devastating natural disasters from which our history will never escape. It has been a tumultuous time and I daresay I am not the only American who wakes up disheartened with our country and the direction it has been heading. I know I am also not the only American who is embarrassed to associate herself with the stars and stripes, sick with what they represent today. Especially living abroad, it has become harder and harder to enter into a new culture with a clean slate. For years, when I am in other countries, people demand to know my politics before they shake my hand. So this day, November 4, 2008, has been a long time coming. Even if I will not be there to share in the frenzy, and will go to bed tonight without knowing, being here in Senegal, and more importantly being away from home, makes it easy to see what we have been waiting for, hoping for.

I voted from here. In order to vote, I was sent my ballot, which took three weeks to arrive. To return it, as there is no post office right around where I live, I took my ballot and hopped on a car rapide, the common mode of transportation, rusty, colorful and decorated buses, paid my 100 francs, and squeezed in with mothers, business men and children. Ten minutes later, I was dropped off at the post office where, with French and my little bit of Wolof, I bought stamps. My ballot would arrive with Senegalese stamps.

Today, as I go about my life in Senegal, I am reminded of all that my ballot represented, arriving with stamps from Senegal. This election is a chance for the American people to show that they are ready for, and ready to choose, a new direction for their country. My ballot voiced my faith in the ideals of my country. The United States of America was founded by a group of individuals ready for change, and ready to make change themselves. It is not to be denied that our history is shaped by cultural tolerance, intolerance and collaboration, racial inclusion and exclusion, economic discrimination and cooperation, global partnership and separation. The history of the United States is colorful, for good and for bad. But in this election, I am joining many other Americans to vote in the name of the ideals, to take the risk in the name of hope and change, and to hope with all our hearts. I get chills in thinking about the next 24 hours, and the future that will follow. As Barack Obama said of our country at the 2004 Democratic Convention, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…and that is the genius of America!” This is the ideal, our hopes and our deepest wishes as Americans. The outcome of this election will show what the American people truly want. We will show ourselves, and more importantly we will show the world, which sits on the edge of its seat waiting to see what our powerful country will choose.

In being abroad during the elections I have come to understand their significance for the rest of the world. The world waits to see if American citizens are ready to choose change. Usually when I walk to school in the morning I have to ignore the shouts of “Toubab!” that, while I have learned to tune out, I still find rude. Today, I could not help but smile when people shouted, “Obama!” as I walked past. So now it is finally here, after months of grueling campaigning, and waiting and wondering. In New York the polls are about to open. There are moments in time when we live history in the making. Let this be one.