Change From a Fuzzy Distance

One of the most exciting things I experienced during this election season was the chance to see Barack Obama, up close, in a Pueblo rally.

I took the day off from work to drive a couple hours south to this Colorado town in which we had never previously spent time. I was surprised at how... gosh darned All-American it was. I drove past the high school with its football team practicing, with smokestacks from struggling factories silhouetted in the distance. It was a scene straight out of Friday Night Lights.

The rally itself took place in a honest to god State Fair, where I could see people of all ages, races, and backgrounds streaming in to see our next president (we hoped!). Everyone waiting in the long line to the rally was excited, and I made friendly conversation with a smart, politically active woman who worked in Boulder and a good natured kid wearing a Chuck Norris T shirt who went to the local high school. It was inspiring to be around all this great energy, and when we finally got to see Obama, walking to the podium just meters in front of us, the whole fairground practically shook from the cheering and excitement.

Unfortunately Julia couldn't come to the rally, but I did take a bunch of pictures, which I have posted to my new photo album site (by the way I definitely recommend using Google's free Picassa application to organize and host your photos on the web - it's really convenient, and again, free!). My pictures aren't very good, and they can't capture the feeling of actually being there, but I do attempt to inject some narration via the captions.