1 Notes
Hey, It’s me, 2008.
Hey Caitlin,
It’s 2008. I know you might be surprised that I am writing you. One, because I am a year and two, because you thought I was a year that was way behind you. It’s true, we have gone our separate ways – you have changed, and I have stayed mostly the same. BUT, I thought it might be nice of me to check in and see how you are doing with all this 2012 election coverage. I thought if anything, I might stir up some memories that trigger a response. To be honest, I am writing to tell you what is up.
So, I scanned your emails from January through November 2008. Don’t be mad! I am your past after all. So listen, in 2008 you were living in San Francisco. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten because you talk about it ALL THE TIME. You had a brunch boyfriend. Like, this guy you just went to brunch with (what was his deal anyway??) and you were generally political. It was so EASY to be political in San Francisco, remember? Especially in 2008!
We were all fantastically excited about George W. Bush no longer being president (we’re still excited about that) and even more so, we had Mr. Hope himself, Barack Obama, waiting in the wings. And since you were in California, you also had Proposition 8 on the ballot. You went to rallies and election parties. Remember when Obama beat Clinton? I know you felt weird about it because you really wanted a woman to be president. You were conversational and introspective, and you were excited about change. The city around you was not cynical or cold. There was the warm glow of promise everywhere. Also, a lot of people were high.
The last few months leading up to the election were bittersweet for you (I read your emails, remember?), but you powered through like the little 5’2 soldier you are. On November 4, 2008 you walked down to your voting place and cast your vote. It was exciting and made you buzz all over.
And then you began drinking (oh, you!). You went to the Castro with your friends. You went to Twin Peaks, and you guys were the youngest people there. In a way, that felt really important. A huge sign for Milk hung outside the theater. You saw it on opening night and Margret Cho gave the intro, remember? That’s a really cool memory, huh?
When Obama won, you took to the streets. A dance party erupted all through the Castro. Drag queens were dancing on a wooden stage they had constructed at the intersection of Market Street, cute boys were vogueing on top of cars, and you and your friends were openly swigging champagne like champs.
And then the music abruptly stopped, and one of the queens announced that though the left had been victorious, you had also lost the battle against Prop 8.
Friends hugged who ever was nearest, old couples wiped tears from each other’s faces. This is the blessing and a curse of the cliché liberal situation: even when things are good, they are never good enough.
But you know, this was San Francisco, so you continued to dance. And you took this picture – you’ve been that happy since, but I don’t know if you had ever been that happy before. I like to think that this was a turning point for you – change was happening everywhere, and sometimes you just have to embrace and enjoy it. You really learned that in 2008.
So that is why I am writing you today. For the next 10 months, I am asking you to start paying attention, to remember your values and interests. Go to a political movie or a talk. Find out where Margret Cho is now and go see her. Make as many Dan Savage related Santorum jokes as possible. Use that genius boyfriend of yours to your advantage. Don’t worry about how little you know, or how lazy you feel in comparison to others– none of that actually matters when you are fighting for a cause you believe in.
Stop being just plain horrified of how racist, homophobic, and empathetically illiterate all the republican candidates are and instead do something about it. You now live in the city that birthed the Occupy Wall Street movement. And while it may feel like that movement went into hibernation for the winter, you still have all of those people around you – you just have to look for them.
Stop being such a chump and start getting interested again. If nothing else, because it makes you feel good – and as your past, I can tell you that is the most important thing. And when the victory hits, I bet you’ll have a city full of friends to dance with. And goddamn it girl, you love to dance!
Cheers,
2008
