Obama’s speech energized me. I felt a physical rush travel through my body. In awe, I watched as he embraced his wife and daughters. In wonder, I kept telling myself, “He won, he won!” Yes we can, yes we can, yes we can! As the camera slowly swept over the crowd in Grant Park, I saw hope and possibility in the eyes of the people. With excitement, I fell to sleep.

In the late afternoon my son and I were walking into our lobby, and there was a voter’s registration table with red, white, and blue balloons floating above the table. What got Baby Danny’s attention was the bowl of lollipops. “What is this table for?” he asked. “To vote,” I said. “Vote for what?” he asked. “The president,” I said. “Oh, you mean I can vote for Barack Obama,” he said with enthusiasm. I was soon in the elevator and Baby Danny entered with an elderly white woman. Her hair was cut short, and her glasses sat on the tip of her nose, like a schoolteacher's.