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it is with many mixed emotions that i sit here, trying to gather my thoughts and get my emotions under control. ah, it has been a roller coaster ride with chills and thrills and sadness and anger. yesterday,, on election day, i took my 14 yr. old son out of high school and went with him and a friend from the chat room to Rock Island, IL. there we went to ground zero of the Lane Evans re-election campaign at the Laborers Hall. the place was swarming with people all intent on performing a single task all with that singleminded goal-to get Lane his 12th election win. there were folks working the phone banks, getting out the vote; others gathering and putting data from exit polls on large graphs that covered the walls. then there were the constantly ringing cell phones-every one of them with a different, obnoxious ring. these were presinct watchers who would call in every hour or so and give updates on voter turnout. into this beehive of activity we camebut then right behind us, came Lane and his entourage. Lane looked around and took in all of this activity with a practiced eye (this is, after all not his first election!) and then introduced me to his younger brother Dave, a neice Joyce and her husband, and several folks from his DC staff and my good buddy, Mike-his caregiver, driver & scheduler. we talked for about an hour and everyone (those who's job it was to know these things) agreed that voters turning out in record numbers boded well for the incumbant. then it was decieded to get some rest before the big night ahead, so we all headed downtown to the Four Mark Sheraton hotel. of course, i was much too excited and nervous to rest. even thought everyone seemed confident, i don't think that either Lane nor i would believe until we saw it on TV. after all, Lane's opponent, Andrea Lane Zigna, had launched a formidable assault on Lane's health-proclaiming loudly and often that US Representative is not a job for a person with Parkinson's. i got to the banquet hall early, the rooms were magnificent with crystal chandeliers and lots of mirrors. i sat quietly, too scared to watch one of the many TV monitors situated around, but unable to miss the reports of Wolf Blitzer as he said that polls were closing and numbers were starting to shape the next four years of our lives. there was a contingent from channel 6 in the quad cities, planning their stratagies for their live coverage of the evening. being the only person there, the newscaster asked me what i thought (and for once, words didn't fail me!!)-i said that i hoped that by Lane Evans' re-election (which i hoped would be the outcome), it would send a message to all the naysayers out there who are ready to write off people with disabilities and declare them ready to put out to pasture and would make Parkinson's research on the fast-track, especially with embryonic stem cells. Mike came in, looking for me and asked me to go up to Lane's suite where he was hosting a private party for staff, family and close friends. i sat in my wheelchair, watching the different screens right next to Lane, hearing his barely audible comments. i felt like a total "insider!" i called my son to come and told him that this was history in the making. i was so pleased that when CNN declared Lane Evans the winner by a 64% to Zinga's 23% of the vote! talk about a roomful of happy, shouting, cheering, high-fiving, slappin' on the back people.-i am sure we qualified as one of the rowdiest. then came the news we were all expecting: Barack Obama was declared the new junior US Senator from Illinois and as he gave gave a rousing celebratory speech!! the room went wild but we had to make a mad dash to the reception hall for Lane's acceptance speech. Lane was jubulient and obviously "on" as he made his way into the hall. i felt so happy for him and i took a bit of pride in his win for the work i had done to help keep Ms, Zinga at bay. i felt that this was indeed about PWP's and their abilities-not the disability!! -- Joan E. Blessington Snyder 51/13 http://www.pwnkle.com/jes/jes_web/index.htm <[log in to unmask]> "Hang tough...........no way through it but to do it." Chris-in-the-Morning (Northern Exposure) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn