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When you call her telephone number at your local office, armed with either a Persuasion or AV-chase script, sometimes she'll pick up, sometimes not. Every "previous ID" choice will be circled when you knock on her door tomorrow, or on Wednesday, or on Thursday.... whenever your walk packet contains her address. Some days, she'll answer the door. Other days, she won't.
You have to cut her a bit of slack though. She's an older lady. She's been through more than you and I could ever imagine. It takes a lot to get her attention these days. After all, she's seen everything. There have been times when she proudly voted her principles and her candidate won. As many times, she proudly voted her principles and lost. Hell, she's old enough to remember a time when she couldn't vote at all and, believe you me, she hasn't forgotten about it. To her credit, even at her age, she hasn't stopped fighting for everyone, men and women, of all creeds and colors, to have a voice.
Like I said, she's seen it all and it takes a lot to get her attention these days. In the neighborhood, we never knew her surname or anything, we used her nickname. It must've stuck a long time ago because even my grandparents, who moved here in the early '20's from Italy, always used her nickname: 'Lady.'
I grew up on her block and spent more time listening to her stories than almost anything else when I was a kid. Some people have a way with words and some people just know how to tell a story: cryin' out sideways, she could tell a friggin' story.
Even though there were times when she kinda creeped me out, we all knew, my brother and I, our neighbors, everyone in the neighborhood--we all knew that she was good people.
I hadn't spoken politics or much of anything with her in a few years. Matter of fact, she'd seemed kinda sad lately. I figured it was because she had been living alone for a while. Either that, or she started to feel her age and wasn't sure how many years were left in her.
But, then, the strangest thing---she started to come outside more than she had in a long time. Her garden got bigger. I noticed that her broken down front porch looked like someone had painted it for the first time in years. The writer John Gierach once said, "it's funny. I hadn't noticed that a little of the spring had gone out of his step until it was back." That's exactly what we saw in her. A spring back in her step.
Maybe it's just coincidence, but, at the same time as she seemed to get a second wind, on her block, there were all kinds of people walking the street. A lot of people. They seemed happy. Energized. Hopeful. Lady didn't always deign to answer the door to them but, when she did, she was all smiles. And, brothers and sisters, I will promise you one thing---when Lady smiles, it lights up the room. You can't help but smile with her.
I'm still not sure if it's connected but the people walking our street were canvassing for Barack Obama. Volunteering. Pounding the pavement for Hope they believe in. And they were smiling! People from every walk of life, taking time out of their day to smile.
It might be contagious. I haven't seen Lady so happy in many, many years. To everyone working on this campaign, in all forms, I'd like to thank you for your time and energy. You've made an older woman that has spent her life fighting for justice to feel energized and hopeful again.
I don't want to post her personal info on the internet but I'll try to find a picture of her and put it in a reply below. Thanks again everyone.
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