A Night When The People Holding Open the Doors Were Happier Than The Ones Walking Through Them

Since I already sent my serious post, I just wanted to chime in with an anecdote. I was in Washington D.C. last night, staying two blocks from the White House. At 11:30 pm, a half hour after the results were announced, I happened to walk past a very stuffy private club, one that, as far as I can tell, is populated exclusively by hardcore Republican men in their later years. It's the kind of place where you can imagine lobbyists slipping bribes to judges, and Central American coups being plotted... or maybe it's just me. Anyway, as I passed by, two men in black uniforms were high-fiving each other and hooting with delight. From what I could tell, one man was the doorman at the club, the other the chauffeur for one of the club members. Both were African American.

Just then, the club door opened and a bloated, red-faced stereotype of a man walked out. He was utterly miserable; he defined the word "scowl." The two uniformed men immediately returned to their duties: one held open the club door, the other held open the car door. But as they stood at attention, I'm pretty sure I noticed them share a furtive smile.

That, for me, was D.C. last night. Of course the dynamics of wealth and privilege that define the city are still intact. But for one night the people holding open the doors were a hell of a lot happier than the ones walking through them.

Comments

[renatam]

Thank you, Naomi.

[Polyphant]

Furtive being the operative word. The pleasures of servility.

[aleance]

Very descriptive post.!!!! Thank you once more

[C-Bob]

I was downtown here in Austin last night, in the area near our main homeless shelter. Even the Katrina refugees are walking around with smiles on their faces. We really need to make sure we don't disappoint these folks.

Naomi, you are a bright light. And awfully cute, too. Y'all come back and see us real soon, now, you hear?

[Aranxa]

How sweet it is!!!

[exhale09]

LOVE this article!

[Jackalheadedgod]

It is all just sinking in.

Cheers,
Jack

[Heddie]

This is an amazing, amazing time- but I have to encourage everyone to keep
their radar on, and their hearts and minds open- that is what won this election,
and the opposite is what lost it, and we still have to put one foot in front of
the other every single day from here on in.

[itmaybetoolate]

And so it begins.... :)

[WeAreTheBorg]

Bravo, Naomi!

[kimleehan]

Black is beautiful but blue is now the color of the bossman.

[court fanatic]

What goes around eventually ALWAYS comes around....­..........­......I love it!

[momof3inGA]

:o)

[oncethere]

At another level, maybe we all can begin to open up our doors and let others, as well as our own feelings, in.

[AbstractImp]

Thank you. For a poor old man like me, that little picture is worth all the wait.