It feels like I’ve gone through some m-brane universe back to an America I’m familiar with.  I know this long uncomfortable time isn’t even over until January 20th.  But still, today I don’t feel like a foreigner in my own country.  I really like that.

I grew up believing in elections.  Not only that the right candidate would get chosen (at least often) but more importantly, that elections would be fair and honest.  Having one decided by the Supreme Court after the disastrous Florida recount didn’t feel fair.  It was as if what I perceived as the fundamental engine of democracy had been broken.  The 2004 election didn’t feel right, either.  But now the broken machinery of voting feels fixed (and I don’t think that’s just because my candidate won instead of the other guys – I voted for Bush in 2000 and spoke out against him in 2004).

Oh — there’s a lot of work to do to make positive change.  There’s a lot for all of us to do, not just the Obamas.   In fact, I realized today that I missed the daily emails I’ve gotten used to from the Obama team.  They were usually pleas for money, and usually I didn’t give them any, but it was a daily acknowledgement that a relationship existed, however tenuous (given I’m a small donor and this is a blue state), between me and the campaign.   I hope I hear from President-elect Obama at least once a week or so, and from President Obama as well.   I hope the enhanced connectedness – slim and imperfect as email is – keeps up and grows.

I took a lot of this weekend as down time.  I suspect a lot of the country did, no matter who they thought the better candidate.  Now we can get up and keep going, most of us a little more hopeful than before.

Maybe I’ll get an email from the Obamas next week.  Maybe this President will keep us in the loop.