My night in the Obama shirt

[Chulanowa]

Some two weeks ago, I picked up a "Vashon <3 Obama" T-shirt, with hte heart of course being an altered version of the campaign image. it set me back fifteen bucks, but that money went straight to the campaign, so what the heck, right? Tonight was the first night I put it on.

Now first off, this isn't a radical move. Vashon Island is chock full of liberal-types. it's just that now, with most of us wearing the same shirt, it was easy to pick each other out. I was greeted with smiles and thumbs-up, which is a little unusual - I'm a short, grouchy-seeming dude with cropped hair and a leather jacket, after all. I smile and wave back.

Several people pause to ask me for help of some sort or another "Do you know when the bus is running?" "Where's a good place to eat on the island?" and all those other non-personal sorts of questions that we all get every now and then... but I've never gotten such a spate of them, and certainly not in the short distance between home and my bus stop!

A few people stopped to talk politics, mostly rah-rah Obama stuff, which is fine by me.

One guy - nineteen years old or so, wearing his I Voted sticker, stopped to ask me "Why are you voting for that nigger jew?" (apologies for the language, his words, not mine) - naturally I'm taken aback, but rather than give the twerp the satisfaction of a confrontation, I look him in the eye and in my best Sammy Davis Jr. impression (which I think is pretty good!) I tell him "'Cause I think that cat is cool, he's cool, eheh, eheh, eheh!" I don't think the yutz got it, but I was satisfied.

He was alone, though, as I went to work. There, I got a pretty warm reception - pretty much everyone I work with is even to the left of me - at least two of the housekeepers are avowed socialists. I had to cover my shirt up while cooking - didn't want to get splatter all over it - but that's fine. There was a moment of panic as the first results roleld in - Kentucky for McCain, South Carolina for McCain, but it passed quickly, and by the middle of the night, people were popping hteir heads in to spread the word about Pennsylvania, Florida, and yes, Texas - This brought me to a moment of uncontrollable laughter, and I've never thought of Texas being a battleground!

By the end of the shift, everyone was pooped from working while cheering and hoping and stressing. I managed to get home in one peice and now I just kind of want to lay back and let it all soak in. One thing's fir sure though - this shirt is going to get worn down into lint, I plan to wear it so much.

Congratulations, everyone. We pulled it off. It's going to take me a month to finish accepting this new sensation, this "vik-toh-ree" thing... But I like the taste!