Phone banking

I have done it many times in the past 8 years - phone banking - telemarketing for the fearless, the unintimidated. I am phone banking from my PC in NY to people in Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio - they call them "Battleground states" - I can see why - they are definitely battleground states. The emotions that emanate from the other end of the telephone are strong, to be quite sure.

I am doing it because I want to do SOMETHING. I had hoped to be hired to work on the campaign full time, but decided against something that would require so many hours - I struggle with having too much stress and too many hours of work - it is difficult to have a disability, particularly one such as mine - people tend to not understand, and more often, tend to not want to understand.

I am polite on the phone - I follow the script religiously, respecting the differences, rejoicing inwardly, and outwardly, when appropriate, when I meet a true Obama supporter - the first time voter who screamed in the background of one of my first phone calls, the green card holder who cannot vote, but is proud that her citizen husband can and will vote for Obama. The 70 year old who thinks that Obama is the only one who can heal the country and is convinced of its demise under McCain. There are many - there are also the few who hang up - less than a handful so far, actually. It is all part of it - again - that is why they are called battleground states - strong opinions from the residents thereof.

This election is the most important election that we are likely to see in our lifetimes. The next few years will explain where we are as a nation, whether we have overcome our personal biases and have the guts to vote for the right person, regardless of the color of his skin. I am wearing one of my Dr. King pins - I got them at the annual luncheon I attended a couple of times in Utah - another lifetime ago - I wonder what people think when they see it - do they think I am making a statement? I am, but not the one they might think of necessarily - I have a dream and that is that my 4 brown sons will always be judged by the content of their character, and not the colour of their skin.