In The Air, Change!

Joe Biden: "We don't have to accept a situation we cannot bear. We have the power to change it."
The collective sense in Denver these days is mounting hope, and the usual media ploys of distracting readership with "glossy" issues is fading.
We see people getting their news now from each other, Twitter, Blogs, proven sites that adhere to integrity. Gone are the days of shuffling out one's driveway in a bathrobe to grab the local morning paper, blindly, obediently reading it over coffee. People now sit in their cubicles following the world (sorry boss, you need to know that), they balance laptops in bed at night and read a multitude of voices, and reactions. People now process the information on their own time, from who they come to trust, and even share their reactions, and develop conversations in Comments section, and this is why people are feeling hope. They finally feel like they are contributing to the dialog, the process, and certainly the outcome of the election.
So exciting.
Note the speeches, the "we" in all this. Not the "I promise" which, sometimes turns out to be a lie. Participatory citizenship. This is new, exciting, and it seems to engage everyone I have spoken to. Change for sure. Cindy McCain's half-sister is going for it. We all are.

DNC, another war room

My journo friend, Amy Brouillette, is posting over at New West, and last night when we saw those Darth Vader-looking troops upping their pace from stroll to trot past us on Fifteenth Street, she took off. Me, I am not a "bullet chaser"....that heroic breed of journalist, writer or shooter, that needs to get as close as possible to the action. The best stuff always comes from that proximity, but when I see flashing lights and swarms of choppers overhead, as I did last night around 7 pm, I just said "meet me back in this alley."
I wasn't even sure if she heard me, she was racing fearlessly along, darting between cars, lens lifted to capture the moment which she certainly did. The whole protester thing ended within a half hour, evidently there was chanting/provoking, cops contained the group. There was some pepper spray, rubber bullets (Ow!), a little stampede action, nothing major. I heard that around a hundred people were detained at the "freedom cages" for a while. Bravo Amy.

DNC.....sanctuary

So Denver was hot today, more crowded, more confused, yet I did get my laminate act together. A little research on events, a little homework to RSVP helps. I guess it takes some effort to sift through the thousands of offerings of all kinds and make a plan. It probably also helps to leave Denver each evening to feed your cat and check your email at your own desk. Or maybe that's just me.
Today, I also connected with fellow blogger, Sara Avant Stover, who invited me into the paradise known as Arianna's Oasis. Oooooooooh.
Different vibe here, man. Welcome, would you like a massage? How bout a smoothie? Not the sugary, fakey fruity kind but little cups of real. Or home-made chocolates? Or a copy of Arianna's book, Fearless, which was on my list of must reads? Or go and stretch over there. We all know LuluMom loves her stretch. Or just a quiet place to sit and catch a wireless signal or not. And music is softly playing. And someone offers you a gorgeous, clean, veggie nibble. And you feel so good.
And the whole point is that we are running around crazy, getting our stuff done, focusing, being good at what we do, and we forget. There is a being inside that needs a little love and care.
And maybe after we get a bit, what happens? We pass it on. We excuse the crowds and fumes and mess because we have reconnected with the good place. Our own.
Thanks, Arianna.