November 2, 2004 & Down The Rabbit Hole

This is my contribution to what appears to be a historic moment that will affect most people on the planet. Unaffected are people like my DJ friend who didn't know who John Kerry was or the significance of today's election. I cast a little jealous look at him because nothing I said or read regarding Bush and his crew these last four have amounted to anything; meanwhile he -my DJ friend - played music and chilled. After today it will be a whole new world of possibilities and outcomes, regardless of who wins...er, achieves office.

What I hope to accomplish with this blog is to - over the next two days - sort out my feelings and ideas about America and its role in my life: I'm Canadian. Or, to put it in terms an American friend once suggested, I want to get in tune with my "inner-American." As a Canadian his comment - made in jest - almost withered me; to even consider the possibility that I might have a hidden American lurking inside me compelling me to do something beyond reason (like like America) was enough to question my own Canadian identity. Later, when I calmed down, I realized that my near asphyxiated state of self doubt was itself an affirmation of my Canadianism. While that realization got me over that hump, it was of little comfort since I left Canada on June 25, 1993 vowing never to return: such was my frustration with Mulrony, no job, and that infernal French/English thing that keeps erupting as if the Plains of Abraham happened just last year...

Where was I? Oh yeah, I was in Canada, but now live in Japan - in the Kansai region. I hope later in this blog to attend a gathering of Americans and other interested people at Covent Garden - a cafe/bar in Osaka where Mark & Richard (a couple of Habs fans) have agreed to open up early, way early - 7 hours early so we can gather, hold hands and sing "Kumbayah" till sundown. Actually, I'm not sure what we'll be doing other than following that urge to be with friends and watch history unfold. Kind of like providing an answer to the future question: Where were you when Bush was (elected/defeated)? But that's not until tomorrow morning since we are 14 hours ahead New York time. In the meantime I will indulge in a bit of pre-election rambling.