Well, That Was Short-Lived

(Our avoidance of the media, that is.)

Because, really, that's just not possible in these days and times. The first bit of our morning was spent catching up on what so many people stayed up to bear witness to, last night. We watched a portion of and then read McCain's concession speech and then did the same with Obama's victory speech.

It must have been thrilling to be at Grant Park, last night, is all I could keep thinking. And then I thought about the millions of people who truly believe this man can change our country. And I absolutely see that in his persona, his charisma, and his story - the influence he has had on this nation and those abroad already is unmistakable.

But. (Yeah, there's a but.) Whether it's ignorance or enlightenment, we both have a really hard time seeing beyond all of those things to understand how his policies will effect the type of change that will both progress and protect this country and her people. And despite the few riveting dialogues we have been a part of on both sides, we just don't get it.

It goes without saying that Obama (nor McCain) can fix what's wrong with this nation. And in a different slant, I also believe they both embody many of the characteristics of what is right with this nation. Now characteristics and policies, again, are two very different things. But we aren't naysayers, at least in the bigger picture, and we can't change anything about the results. We can say that in an ideal world, this whole thing wouldn't have even gone the way it has. But what's idealism?

I am thankful to live in this republic (democratic, as it may be) of a nation. I'm still proud to be an American. And I was proud under both Bushes and Clinton, too. (Unfortunately I wasn't completely cognizant, at the time, of the gift it was to have been born and spent my first couple of years of existence during the presidency of Reagan.)

And I hope for a greater day for all of us, though I just don't think it's here.

Goodnight

We aren't watching television tonight.

In fact, I might avoid the media (including a certain social networking site that has been overrun with over-exaggerated opinions today - from both sides) altogether tomorrow.

Because no matter who is elected President, tonight, we are not content.



If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world... I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same. - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Politico Today

The following quotes were found via Erin via Aaron. Thanks friends.

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government. - Thomas Jefferson

We live in a democracy, a representative form of government, where it’s as much if not more our responsibility to love and take care of our neighbors than our politician’s responsibility. Real and lasting change comes from knowing and loving the folks who live in the houses that sit next to ours rather than saving all of our longing and hope for the voting booth. - Derek Webb


I'm a jumble of thoughts and emotions, today. We both are, really. Yesterday and today over breakfast we talked about the future of our country, as well as our future as a couple and as individuals. And I think, while I have some good thoughts on the matter - good enough for Cliff to ask me to blog about them - I just can't wrap my words around it all.

This day means a lot. But it doesn't mean everything.

Cliff and I believe that our liberties and freedom are first, alone, in Christ. And as Americans, we are blessed to live in a country that was founded on protecting (not just granting) freedoms that we are entitled to as humans. And while we, as the United States, are more alive with principles and philosophies of this very concept than most nations, we are not a "perfect union" and I don't believe we ever will be.

And I don't believe that whoever takes the helm of our country for the next four years, as decided by today's election, has the power to change things the way people have come to believe he (or possibly she, one day) can. Sure, change happens as a result of change in leadership. But change takes time, and ultimately, there's no answer or solution either of these two men can offer that's going to change the heart of people. And we, as citizens of a country and some of us, of a greater Kingdom, are those people.

I know people want something they can believe in. We do too.

But we don't believe it's McCain.
And we don't believe it's Obama.



We believe it's Love.
We believe in Love.


...because God is Love. - 1 John 4:8

According to Plan

Well, this morning didn't go. Or at least, I didn't, really. I don't recall my alarm going off and I woke up with a start, twenty minutes after I was supposed to be at Belmont helping Maria with check-in. So... that stinks. By the time I would have gotten there, there would have been a half hour left before my assignment was through.
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And life hasn't, either. Gone according to plan, I mean. And I am grateful for that. Especially on a day like today. Which is the first day of November, of course. A day that will live in infamy for Cliff and I. And I get a small sweet moment to reflect on it this morning, and that's kind of nice.

We can always count on the Summer Olympics and Presidential Elections rotating in cycles of four years. And of course, we all know it has been the year for both. One brought great joy and cheering in our household (particularly because of a certain swimmer) and the other has been a fight to care/believe/hope/understand/not care/etc. Four years ago, I think it was the opposite for me. I barely paid attention to the Summer Olympics and was glued to the Presidential Election (and thankfully so).

Four years ago, today, I was a junior in College. I was the Student Coordinator of Towering Traditions and had just come back from a great weekend trip with the new Orientation Council to Chicago for a conference. This was me then:


Four years ago, today, it was the day before Election Day in the infamous run-off between Bush and Kerry. I knew who I was voting for in my very first election because I had just received confirmation of my absentee ballot and I was sitting in the Bunch Media Hall at the Library at Belmont, watching "FahrenHYPE 9/11", a documentary responding to the claims made in Michael Moore's famous "Fahrenheit 9/11."

A friend had convinced me to go, and though I hesitated, because anything having to do with 9/11 is a little too-close-to-home, I went. I mean, it was for convo credit, and in those days, you took anything you could get. I don't recall much of the film except for small moments of clarity regarding facts and truths about the historic event. After the movie, the lights came back on and the event hosts began a post-film discussion. Surprisingly, what took place was an interesting dialogue that became particularly interesting to me when a guy I hadn't ever recalled seeing on campus spoke up about people he knew from his time at West Point who were serving in Iraq.

Here's a snapshot of the mental trail that I soon began walking down:

West Point? Someone from the "long gray line" at Belmont? Really? This guy must have gotten lost on his way to the Athlete's House or something. He can't possibly have transferred from a place like West Point to Belmont. Is that a Polo shirt he's wearing? Without the collar flipped up and jeans so tight they're choking his private parts? Who IS this guy, anyway?

There was something particularly striking about this guy. Sure, he was attractive in that All-American guy next door sort of way. But that wasn't it. He was just different. A different I would never have thought would have been appealing, but it very much was.

You see, I had just finished a serious bout of unrequited love (or really, like) with the "man of my dreams." But let's be serious, there were a lot of those types of guys. None I dated, of course, only became really good friends with to sort of work my way into an equation I couldn't ever be taken out of. Except, I always was. They were the fun and creative, yet dreadfully non-committal, flaky, on-the-road-because-I'm-in-a-band sort of guys. And I just gravitated toward them. I had for years. They were the guys that wore shirts and pants far too small for their frames, had hair that was perfectly messy and yet styled forever to look that way, and were probably wearing chuck taylors or some other pair of shoes that were in at the time.

But this guy at the convo was so not that. And that was perplexing to me, especially to find him at a place like Belmont.

Luckily for me, this Mystery Man was armed with a convo scanner at the door I had to exit through on my way out of the event. And wouldn't you know, before I even had a chance to take my ID out of my handy-dandy ID holder, Mystery Man called me by name.

"It's Kristine, right?"

Time stopped in that very moment. Mystery Man knew my name. And then he told me his (but I should have been listening better, because we laugh to this day that all I heard was "Clint").

"My name is Cliff. I uh, transferred here from West Point and recognized you from orientation."

Duuu... uh.... wer.... I. I couldn't figure out what to say first, so I just said, "Nice to meet you! West Point, wow, that's a big change. My brother-in-law went there. How do you like Belmont so far?"

And then we chatted it up for what seemed like forever, but was probably only five to ten minutes, or so. It was all the normal exchanges of majors, hometowns, political opinions, etc but I had that feeling, which I thought was far too wishful, that I really wanted to know who this guy was. But that seemed unlikely, considering our class schedules, friend circles, and campus activities had kept our paths un-crossed this long already.

[Can I just mention that I'm eating yogurt and COMPLETELY missed my mouth with the last spoonful and now have a strange bird crap-like trail of yogurt on my shirt. Awesome.]

So, I floated on some sort of cloud on the walk home to The Commons, sighing more than is probably physically healthy. When I got home, I ran straight to Molly's room, hopped on her bed, and recounted this seemingly insignificant encounter with "Clint", speculating on the rare possibility of ever seeing him again. This small event had given me hope that there were really great men outside of the musician-type I had for so long been into. I would not believe it then as fully as I do, now, but it's sometimes the things that don't go according to plan that have the most effect on our lives.

And that first day and night of that November four years ago, I was happy and hopeful, wondering what might be in store for me next.

This is Kristine, Reporting Live

So, things are happening here at Belmont. I mean, they have been happening, but today was the day for our Volunteer Lounge to begin operating and for shuttles and security to begin their rounds. CPD is finally here, which makes this thing all real. (As if the United States Secret Service wasn't enough.) But CPD makes it happen, so it kind of feels like we've been setting up house for them to come in and host their event while we run about like a little minion of volunteers and do-gooders who are still in such a state of surreality about the Debate being here at our university.

Everyone's in generally good spirits though around here, and I can't blame. One view from our "office" is of the Nashville skyline (did I mention that earlier this week?) and the other is of the portion of campus where most of the action is taking place (i.e. the media compound known as "Spin Alley"). There was even a bit of protesting already! Can you believe it?

Cliff was supposed to be joining me here this evening for his first shift with Transportation Headquarters, but unfortunately (for me, not for him) they canceled his shift. Tomorrow and Sunday though, we'll be camped out here, which eats up our weekend (and time to clean and get laundry done), but I guess that's what Wednesday through Friday will be for me next week.

Sorry there's nothing news-worthy to report on, but when you're four days away, what can you expect? Thanks for checking in, anyways!