Has change already begun?

Whether or not you agreed with the outcome of the presidential election, one thing cannot be disputed: The election of Barack Obama as president was a historic event and we'll all have an opportunity, if we so choose, to be part of the change that was so aptly promised.

I was at the courthouse Tuesday night when the polls closed at 8 p.m. and was amazed to find dozens and dozens of voters still in line to cast their ballots. I've spent many an election night there, awaiting the tallies as election workers crunch the numbers, and I'd never seen anything like the crowd that night.

As I attempted to stake out a small portion of space to do my reporting, I found myself longing for a TV to watch the returns coming in state by state. I didn't have a laptop and my only connection to the outside world and the historic election at hand was by cell phone, as my editor provided sporadic updates. I was missing out big-time, or so I thought.

To pass the time, I started talking to voters and found myself intrigued by their stories. A young woman who turned 18 on Tuesday had waited 2 1/2 hours to register and then vote for the first time. There was no place else she'd rather be.

The very two last people in line, who had gotten in the door just as they were locking up the courthouse at 8 p.m., were small-business owners who couldn't get away any earlier to vote. One of them was headed to a local group home to work a 10-hour night shift after he spent two hours waiting to vote. That kind of commitment to civic duty is impressive.

There were many young voters in the last-minute crowd and all seemed so laid back as they patiently waited their turn. An election worker brought out cups of water to quench their thirst. One voter gave up his spot way up in the line to allow a mother with children to get through the process a little quicker.

I heard the story about how voters at one of the fairgrounds polling places left their umbrellas behind to shelter those who stood waiting in the rain.

That's when it struck me. Just like every one of those late voters, I was a part of this historic night and I wasn't missing a thing by not absorbing hours of televised election coverage. (I have to confess, though, that I watched some of the recaps when I got home about 2 a.m.)

This was an election for the ages not only because Americans elected their first black president. More importantly, an entire nation was energized to be part of the process, to make their vote count. Both candidates went to places that rarely see a presidential candidate. The stakes were that high.

Now that the longest campaign in history is finally over, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's going through withdrawal. This presidential election was addictive and I'm going to miss NBC Political Director Chuck Todd's impossibly complicated charts and scenarios about how the electoral votes could stack up on both sides.

I'll even miss Chris Matthews and his crazy comments, like the one about how he "felt this thrill going up my leg" when he heard Obama speak. In that same report, though, Matthews said something else about Obama that I agree wholeheartedly with: "He [Obama] speaks about America in a way that has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with the feeling we have about our country."

There still will be plenty of presidential news in the weeks to come to ease us through our election withdrawal - who Obama will pick for his staff and Cabinet, or for those who enjoy the lighter side of the news, what kind of puppy his daughters will pick as they move into the White House.

Our president-elect has promised change, but one man, one leader can't do it alone. To make sure this change is an antidote for America's ills, we'll all need to find a way to get involved. If Tuesday's voter turnout is any indication, we already have.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com