Chic Speaks!

Dedicated to Anne

" A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."
- Arabian Proverb

Quote of the Day: President-elect Barack Obama

If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress. President-elect Barack Obama

YES THEY DID!

I am at a lost for words so I will keep it simple. As of tonight Barack Obama has become the 44th president of the United States of America.

Too all those who rocked the vote today I am so thankful. I feel like I did when I was a little girl and watched the Berlin wall come down on TV. Then I did not understand what it meant, what that moment represented, but I am so grateful to watch this historical event unfold and recognize how much this means not only to the U.S. but to the world. The faces of all these diverse people, white men, black women, Hispanic grandfathers, Asian students, crowded into Grant Park in Chicago. Obama did not win just because of the black vote, as the votes showed he flipped traditionally red states (Florida, New Mexico, Ohio, Virgina, amongst others). He received the Latino vote that historically went to Republicans. He got the votes of people who do not even have a black friend. He garnered the support of thousands of volunteers. I witnessed their wild enthusiasm when I was in L.A. last week and it was beautiful. People who put aside their difference in a bid for unity of all people. His calm, centered perspective inspired confidence and hope. He was not afraid to reach out to people who are different from him, who think different from him. Many famous and respected Republican families made historical decisions to support Obama. He is a national president representing so many segments of the United States.

I wish that I could be in Grant Park and celebrate this historical night. Party for us Canadians!

Victory ... Obama supporters gather in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Getty Images

On another note I also want to say that John McCain's concession speech was one of the most sincere, gracious, and poignant speeches I have ever heard. I wish this stance of integrity he took on the podium that night had been maintained throughout the race. It is clear when all is said and done he is a man of integrity that got thrown off the right track temporarily. I wish him the best.

Quote of the Year:Barack Obama

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. Barack Obama

Also check out Simply Chic: http://chicreid.blogs.com/simply_chic/ 

LOVE and VOTE: The two most powerful four letter words

I just came back from a three week stay in Los Angeles and it was a high energy, high stakes few weeks.

Besides the shopping (I found a great vintage store called Wasteland on Melrose and stocked up on gorgeous dresses), I was knee deep in the heated political atmosphere. We stayed in Burbank California, where I have set my first novel. When I first got there, driving through the hills, I saw sign after sign in support of McCain/Palin, my heart dropped. But what I learned clearly and very quickly was that California is as divided as the country. As we hung out in other places like Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Malibu, even China Town I saw Obama/Biden signs everywhere. There was artwork, T-shirts, graffiti work of Obama (I've included pictures that I took of some of these images) and you can see what an impact he has left already on the country. It really does feel like John F. Kennedy meets Martin Luther King Jr. and it is so powerful.

I was so excited. My sister and I had even planned to do some volunteering with the campaign but did not get the chance. But I did get myself my own Obama button which read Makin' History in O8. I clipped it onto the belt of my dress (see below) and walked around proudly.

But beyond the images is the strong emotions I and so many people on both sides are feeling. For months now I have watched MSNBC, CNN, FOX, The View, read everything I can get my hands on, I check tons of websites even when I am at work for the latest polling results. I have had many sleepless nights with TV host Rachel Maddow's worrying voice ringing in my head. Sometimes I feel so much anxiety mixed with great hope about the way the election will go that I have felt about to burst and had to talk myself down (as Ms. Maddow would say). My best friend in California is voting for the first time. She was so excited that she voted early. I'm so proud of her and others like her. Men and women of every color, age, and economic background are fighting for change, making their voices heard. Today I read an article by The Associated Press called "Voting Triggers Anxiety." In the article it talked about how people on both sides Obama and McCain are so invested in this election that it is driving them crazy, causing "nail biting, ulcer-inducing anxiety." A McCain supporter said that she has, "A general feeling of near panic on occasion." She said that if Obama wins she would "equate it to a death." Strong stuff but I have to say I feel the same way if McCain wins. I know I'm not American but it has become my second home and I am more invested in the outcome of this than I ever wanted to be. If Obama wins I think I will wake up on November 5th with a new hope for the world and I, like so many others, look forward to waking up with renewed hope.

Side note: Barack Obama's grandmother passed away today at 86 years old, a day before she would have hopefully seen her grandson become president. Obama had said, "she poured everything she had in him." There is a pciture of her hugging him at his highschool graduation and the pure joy she shows as she wrapped her arms around him is one of the most beautiful moments I've ever seen between a grandmother and her grandson. It is so sad but now she is an angel in heaven that may help him become president. YES, WE CAN!!!! The eyes of the world are watching.