ImPerceptibility

Posts Tagged ‘history’

Her hair was bed-tousled and her eyes were barely open when a welcome little body in sponge bob pajamas came walking into my room. She was rubbing her eyes as she crawled into my bed. I snuggled her close for a minute then she asked.

“Obama won the election,” I told her.

She thought about it for a minute then she told me that she thought McCain would win. She wasn’t excited or disappointed. It was just how it was. Politics mean nothing to her. We got up and had breakfast and I wondered if I should explain the significance of this election. History had been made. I needed her to know that what happened last night would not have happened when I was her age. I wanted her to feel what I felt.

She ate her corn flakes as I thought about how to explain all this to her. She’s led a sheltered life. We’ve protected her. We’ve worked hard to make sure the harmful attitude and hateful words that were so much a part of our childhood had no place in hers, even when it was hard for us. I didn’t even know where to start but I wanted her to know.

She was combing her hair and I looked into her eyes. They were now full of energy and ready to take on the new day. I saw innocence and excitement and her wonderful sense of humor. She was mumbling to herself.

“McCain is insane and Obama ate your llama!” She shouted.

I saw a child that was far more concerned about finding the proper rhyme for the name Obama than making the color of his skin significant. I saw a sweetness that only exists in innocence. I saw what could be the future and it was beautiful just the way it was. I grabbed it and I kissed it right between the eyes. Then we went out to enjoy the leaves on a beautiful fall day.