My Blog Family Post (I read it again and it brought back memories!)

Blog name: listener

Greetings, Blog Fam!
I'm a contemplative, married since 1974, have five adult children and eight silky grandcats, and have lived in Vermont since 1981. My lifework is as a listener, as I meet with people seeking spiritual guidance ~ hence my blog name. I am also a writer, photographer, artist, help with my hubby's home based software business, and work part time in a small ecumenical/interfaith bookshop.
I first encountered Howard Dean when he was our Lieutenant Governor and my family and I were central to getting home schooling legislation passed that upheld a good balance of the rights of the state, the parents and the children. In January of 2003, I protested the Iraq invasion until my feet went numb, and got quoted in three newpapers the next day, expressing my concern that such an action would destabilise a significant part of the region.

The day Howard declared his candidacy, I was standing on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont with my hubby and three of our five children, listening to the whole wonderful experience beginning to unfold. The whole marketplace was jammed with people, even folks standing and sitting on every level of the nearby parking garage. There was a platform for all the camera folks, from the local stations to ABC, etc.. It was pretty exciting for us as Vermonters, to see our beloved Governor getting all this attention! I was 47 then.

Our eldest was very involved locally from the beginning and got the rest of us interested in helping too. After another son's wedding at the end of September that year, my hubby and I began to volunteer at H.Q.. What a time that was! H.Q. was full-size and bursting at the seams, with staffers working late into the evening and ordering in junk food so to keep going. Some of us brought good snacks in whenever we could, such as veggies and dip, and the occasional cupcakes or cheesecake just for fun. Nothing lasted on the common table for more than 20 minutes! In addition to spending hours and hours putting together general mailings and Meet Up Packets, I began to help with answering the phones. That was the wildest part of all, as the phones were ringing constantly! I took a call from NPR wanting Howard to be interviewed that same day, calls from numerous reporters, a Senator, lots of hopeful citizens calling in their support, one guy who wanted to bend someone's ear about all the things he thought were wrong with the campaign, and a dear older woman from Texas who called to say please keep on because we down here know GWB well, so we know we need a change!
It was during this time of answering phones that I finally "came out" and began blogging instead of merely lurking. Dina Wolkoff, who trained me and had oversight of the phones, was known to be a serious lurker too, and that somehow made me feel all the more connected. I remember the request that we all share our age on the blog, and was amazed to find I was in the mainstream, not a granny after all! Ha!

I was also on the phones before, during and after Iowa. Our two eldest flew to Iowa and helped with the Perfect Storm. Several of us froze our feet canvassing in NH. I was putting together Meet Up Packets the day Joe Trippi walked out, and remember wondering over the faces of some staff members even before I'd heard the news. My family and I were present at the Sheraton when Howard announced he was withdrawing from the race. I was in Norwich, Vermont (unawares) the day Diane Sawyer interviewed Howard and Judy at the Norwich Inn. Two sons and I became notaries and got out the vote. Last year at the end of October, I was one of the many people who stood in line at Borders Books, about a block from where Howard first announced, to get seven copies of You Have the Power autographed, and ended up being seen on the evening news talking with Howard. I told him that day that I had left the Democratic Party because of how he was treated in Iowa and I was waiting to see what they did after the election. A few days later I worked at the polls. A few months later Howard was made DNC Chair. Later on the original Blog continued to slowly deteriorate. It was the Mother Blog and we need to respect it. Maybe its time, for purposes of this community, has reached retirement. I am grateful for the Shadow Blog and the new life it inspires.

And here we are...several special quilts later, having come through so much together through the pages of the blog, through Deanfest, through reaching out to one another, encouraging one another, being willing to go the extra mile, offer the extra couch, sharing the road and the load ~ always looking to the future, holding in our hearts the hope that Howard gave us, remembering that we have the power because of that hope, and holding open the space for all that is good and worthy in this country to keep its foot in the door. We embodied the hope, and I truly believe we couldn't have done it separately enough to keep it alive. Because of the blog and the connections it made possible and sustained, we knew we weren't alone, we knew what was happening on the front lines, and together we pushed that front line to new horizons. Mousepads and shoe-leather, compassion and elbow grease, Crushies and whale ties, Flat Howard and real Howard, and many many hours of getting out the vote, and the truth. Never ever forget that we are the people of the Union and, together (hopefully with good leadership) we have the power!