Who's that knocking on my door and making my puppy bark out loud?

zulchzulu

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Wed Jun-25-08 11:17 PM
Original message

Who's that knocking on my door and making my puppy bark out loud?

It's a hot summer night here in Madison. As one seasoned wise sage would sing "There's mosquitoes on the river, fish are rising up like birds".

It's getting near dinner time. The veggies grown in the back yard are grilling up nicely...suddenly the door knocks. The puppy, Nola, a euthenasia rescue with a case of cured Parvo (my icon), does her duty and wakes from slumber and yelps a healthy bark that might make someone think they might have to tangle with a wolf. OK, somebody's at the door. Through the small door window, I can see a clipboard.

I answer. Nola desists.

It's a young man at the door doing the walk in the street canvassing for the Democratic Party. My Obama yard sign must have made it an easy target. Add the bumper sticker on the car. And the Obama yard sign next in the yard next to me. Another Obama yard sign is on the corner house across from me. This is indeed Obama country.

He starts off "Hello, I'm out here trying to get people to contribute to the Democratic Party the old fashioned way, back before they had computers." Looking at him, I'd say he was perhaps 20 years old. "I see that you support Barack Obama", he said to my acting incredulous to who that was. We laughed.

I told him I do a fair amount of grassroots stuff for Obama and the Democratic Party. He suddenly recognizes me from the Obama table at the Farmers Market. "You gave me this button!" he said. I don't remember doing that since it gets so busy and all you see are hands grabbing for stuff after a while.

He then talked enthusiastically about how this is the first time he has ever been this dedicated to go out in the streets and canvass with the clipboard. He certainly picked the right neighborhood. I told him about how doing grassroots work can be so enriching as a life experience.

I had met people from South America who admired grassroots workers/soldiers/supporters because they had seen people like that killed or disappeared in their countries for daring to pronounce that freedom, choice and democratic expression were as pure as the day is long. What he is doing is a sacred duty for any American who is awake at this moment.

I told him that in simpler terms, mentioning that I had met people from Argentina who knew people who died for walking the streets trying to change minds of people idly watching dictators rise to power. We agreed that all this doesn't end after Barack Obama becomes President (which he will).

We will be out in the streets still after that to make sure that what needs to be done gets done. It's a lifelong journey and one where you have to keep your eyes way, way open.

After he left and moved down the street, I thought about how I had started getting interested in politics and grassroots efforts. I can thank my father who had a few of his children go out in the chilly fall morning and deliver fliers to homes of neighborhoods I didn't know existed.

Whoever you are out there in DU Land, make sure to pass along the value of grassroots efforts in the streets. Act like there is no power coming out of the electric socket and fight the good fight. Do it Old School.