it's been just about 24 hours since the results came in ... about 15 minutes from now, to be exact.

if there's one thing i'm noticing the most, it's a renewed sense of optimism and excitement throughout the people i know ... not just in everyday life but in politics! normally, most people i know don't like to talk about politics for whatever reason. maybe they dislike it because it causes rifts, or because they're private people and don't feel as if they need to share their views. that's all well fine and good, but i personally enjoy it when people speak their mind about politics. (god knows i do enough. maybe too much ...) it's a great way to get to know the ins and outs of people you are associated with.

even just in this election i've discovered some people i thought were liberal were conservative, and vice versa. of the conservatives i know, there are some who are more moderate, and several who are far right. normally, we don't agree on much of anything when it comes to politics, so we don't talk about it too often, as we like to focus on what we do have in common - namely, our friendship. this election, however, has brought out the best and worst in some that i've seen ... including myself.

i've been drunk at parties arguing with ex-marines over healthcare. i've engaged in an ongoing email debate for about three months now with my grandmother, who i still can't seem to pinpoint politically, but tends to take the conservative side. i've argued with family members about race, gender, and whether hillary really deserved to lose. i've been yelled at, given thumbs-downs and disapproving stares from people i know while doing visibility on the side of the road. in about 99 percent of these cases, i still get along quite well with the other people involved in these exchanges. most people, i believe, realize that you can only argue about politics for so long before you accept that you really can't change someone's mind - only open them up to a new point of view to make them think.

and then there's that one percent of people that genuinely hold it against you. now, some of what i've learned about some friends, acquaintances, neighbours and family members during this election has really made me think twice about them and their character. but for the most part, i can't hold it against them. where do i draw the line? i draw the line when people start hurling racial slurs and insults against homosexuals, the disabled, and the elderly. believe it or not, i've heard it. remember when i blogged the other day about the "white power" thing i heard? this election, and i'll say it again, has really brought out the worst in some. it really makes you wonder why people think the way they do.

let's hope the next four years bring a new sense of tolerance and respect to this country. i'd like to hope that those steadfast in their prejudice and hatred are at least open to new ideas and viewpoints ... so we can come together and heal. then again, american history has shown this to be a slow battle, so i don't have much to go on for that. but hope's a start.