post-election ramble

YES!!! Thank you to all my dear friends and kind strangers who voted for Barack Obama yesterday. I feel indebted to you for giving this country a chance of becoming one I can proudly call myself a citizen of (within the next few weeks, hopefully). I do admit I had my doubts over recent years - at times it felt like immigrating here from Poland might be eerily akin to jumping from the frying pan into the fire - but now I know for a fact that the majority of people in this country share my views on many important issues. Otherwise the results of this election would have been different. So maybe I can stop feeling so disconnected now. Maybe I can start caring about what's going on around me and ask myself what I can do to improve it. Maybe I can start believing that what I care about actually matters on a social and/or political level. Despite the fact that I happen to identify with quite a few traditionally underpriviledged minority groups, lol. Because all of those groups, and a few others, made their voices heard loud and clear last night. And even though part of my own family voted against them, and I couldn't vote at all, they won. We won. Because most of us believe that the dark ages of intolerance and hatred for those who have the courage to be different should stay where they belong - in the past. And that "live and let live" makes more sense than "live and tell others how they should live too". Knowing this is not some magic problem fix just by itself, of course... but it gives me so much hope. As well as a definition of being American I can gladly subscribe to (as opposed to the arrogant and/or ignorant redneck model which seems to have been the predominant export image in recent years). In light of this, perhaps taking 'the oath of allegiance to the United States' will not make me feel as uneasy and kind of doubtful as I feared it might...

In addition to thanking those who voted, I also want to thank those who inspired me to occasionally peek out of my protective fantasy bubble and look around the real world I live in. Those who with their thoughtful posts, generous sharing of links/information and honestly expressed opinions on social/political topics provoked me to do some occasional serious reading (as opposed to fanfic reading, lol) and increase my knowledge. Viggo is certainly number one on this list (no, I haven't read everything he ever posted - or recommended - on Perceval Press... far from it; but one day I might, who knows?...;). I find him just as stimulating for the brain as he is for the senses... lol. Which probably goes a long way in explaining the depths of my obsession... but I digress again.:P What I wanted to say now is that I am also grateful to some people right here on my flist, or fandom in general, who occasionally (or, in some cases, quite often) take the time to talk about serious issues. Being the habitual escapist from reality that I am, I probably wouldn't even be aware of many things going on in this country/world if not for my virtual acquaintance with richly educated and mentally evolved ladies like gairid, rainweaver13 or mellacita - to name but a few. So, paradoxically, diving head first into fandom (a sublime form of escapism in itself) has helped me develop some kind of social consciousness I'm not sure I actually had before. And for this I am thankful - as much as for the gorgeous fiction and other illicit thrills fandom has to offer.;) It is amazing to know that we - a group of virtual strangers - can connect on so many levels. And becoming a fellow citizen to all of you - as well as to Viggo - makes me extremely proud indeed. *nods*