In my 26 years of life the only real "where were you when x happened" moment was September 11, 2001. Possibly the death of Princess Diana and the O.J. Simpson car chase also fit the bill–but to a much lesser degree. The difference with tomorrow is that we know it’s coming.
I think I have historical-moment-inadequacy-stage-fright.
Along with nearly everyone else, I’m uneasy and anxious about the events of the day. My head is filled with what-ifs. Will there be 8-hour lines? Will voting records be blown out of the water? Will it be a tight race/a landslide? Will there be riots? I enjoy photography, I like editing videos, I love asking questions. But, aside from those hobbies–I have no real journalistic qualifications. Yet, tomorrow for the second* time in my life, I am actually–legitimately–concerned with missing the moment. With the tools we now have to share our experiences with each other, I want my experience to be recorded and I want my experience to be memorable. After months of campaigning, calling, donating and debating, I don’t want to sit at my desk and check the news every two minutes to see if anything has changed. I want to be out "there." But, where is "there"?
If I decide to walk the streets and visit polling locations, will I feel foolish? Will the energy of the city be any different from any regular Tuesday? After all, if you boil it down, this is just one election. Is it my youthful naïveté convincing me that this time–this election–is really different? Either way, I want to provide myself the best opportunity for a fantastic "on the day that we elected _ _ _ _ _ I did x" story. This cautiously optimistic enthusiasm only begets new questions: When walking around, should I have a camera in my hands or my video camera? Should I vote when the lines are bound to be long to capture the mayhem, or should I go when it’s quieter–when I’ll have the best chance at talking to a poll worker? Should I watch the results from Times Square or from the comfort an apartment with friends?
I am reassured by the vexing knowledge that regardless what I decide to do, hindsight is 20/20 and on Wednesday I’m sure it will be absolutely clear where I should have been. Thankfully, through the intersection of technology and citizen journalism on sites like Ground Report, YouTube, Tumblr and Facebook, I am positive that I’ll be able to experience–and appreciate–more than just my immediate surroundings. Now that is change I can believe in.
Let’s rock it tomorrow. I’m off to celebrate Election Eve. Perhaps I should put out cookies for Santa?
* Pamplona, Spain: Running of the Bulls marked my first "missing the moment" panic. That panic resulted in these photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pantufla82/125444222/
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