“A small part”

On the afternoon of November 4th, with the work of the election almost done but the results still unknown, one of the members of the National Call Team, Eleanor in Clovis, California took a moment to record her story and the part she played leading up to this moment. She wrote on the group blog:

I signed up for Camp Obama thinking that I was going to stuff envelopes - not actually talk to real people….especially people across our nation. That myth was shattered quickly and happily. After my first calls to New Mexico, I became hooked. I called from the office on Shaw and Maroa, my home, and at Obama gatherings on the weekends. I talked with people in Ohio, Virginia, Nevada,Colorado, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. I have forged bonds with those who both supported Obama and were on the fence. One theme emerged after each session: the need to reduce the division and heal the broken promises. Some felt betrayed by politicians, others had a need to say everything bad about one candidate or another. Each time, I found a way to meet halfway.

I learned that the folks in Ohio were so friendly and kind. Even if they were ;voting for another candidate, they were nice about it. Virgina was close behind.

…I learned about the lives of so many folks. First, the pundits are wrong. Age is not a barrier to reasoning the better candidate. The wisest voters were those who were ;chronologically older but of a much younger spirit. One woman who was in her eighties shared that she cast her vote for Obama for her grandchildren so they would not have to die in Iraq. I think those who experience the worst of hard times know what is ahead and want to protect their families from the pain they recall.

Serving as a volunteer on the phonebank has enriched my life and left me feeling that our nation has grown into that purple majesties…the reds and blues have seeped together to form a purple hue.

Of Election Day itself, Eleanor wrote:

Today is a day to remember. Today is a day to cherish… I am proud that I could make a small — less than small, a fraction of a fraction — contribution to the whole that I now feel a part of.

Millions of volunteers like Eleanor played their own small part in this campaign, making phone calls, knocking doors, organizing. The online community here has provided a way not just for supporters to connect with the campaign and contribute to the work at hand, but to share their experiences as well. Together you’re building a record of a moment in history. ;

What part did you play, and what did you learn from your experience with this campaign?