It was the best of times; it was the worst of times
The choices were lining themselves up like dolls on a shelf
Some were more attractive than others and some were inserting themselves into a race they should have never been allowed to run
Pundits clouding the messages with chatter and noise, verbal pollution diluting the issues and distancing logic from truth
Arguments escalating, the pseudo dolls living in a house divided while walking up and down the same aisle
When did building a brand mean disqualifying the competition by taking words and actions out of context?
Many told me to side with ethnicity and gender while all I wanted to do was stand on the wall of equality
They told me they wanted to make sure that we were all treated fairly and we started the dialogue there
From that point of view, they proceeded to tell me who was going to address those items that gave me heartburn
Experts helped me digest the issues on which we differed and moved me to see an opposing point of view by persuasion and not persistence
Running the same commercial incessantly did not change my mind, it merely bored me
Unless there was some innovation in the message delivered and then my eye was caught and caught well
Those pieces where real people whispered about their dreams, challenges and goals, spoke to me in a louder voice than most
I was moved to feel that I was a part of a history making event and while not all obtained the big prize, all had an opportunity to vie for it
The man who spoke from my Caribbean roots, the man who was a part of my Florida history and the man who rubbed me the wrong way, they all took their place in the spotlight but eventually walked away or were shown the door
They left centerstage open for the main event
And what an event it was
What a groundbreaking day we saw
What seemed effortless was the result of a unyielding tenacity that could only be delivered by one of two people: a shrewd politician or a loving grandma.
Luckily, she was both.
Juan Day At A Time 