Shimmy Shimmy Ya

Obama's presidency may not be as memorable as the moment that was last night. The celebrations in Madison were boisterous and spontaneous. Strangers hugged strangers, grown men wept, and everyone had an additional degree of earnestness when congratulating the African Americans among us.

Starting at 8AM, and during the day I volunteered to "get out the vote" (I kept it nonpartisan, not wearing any campaign buttons or t-shirts). I canvassed the University's dorms (making this the first time I've ever seen the inside of those rooms).

At night we watched the results come in at the Majestic, where I made many new friends. Among them a fellow Canadian, who clapped along with me as McCain spoke (there were some boos from the crowd), and an African fellow who summed up the feeling of the evening: "Shimmy shimmy ya, shimmy yam, shimmy yay!"

Afterwards we walked through the excited State Street crowd to Amy's, and then joined a spontaneous march from the Capitol to Lincoln when we heard the roar from inside the bar.

At 2AM, on the walk home my new Canadian friend (and almost neighbour, it turns out), discussed the Obama policies that we don't like, and the McCain ones that we do like (nuclear energy, for one). It was a full day.