Dead tired in the Las Vegas airport after what has been a truly exhilarating few days, I think it's high time I chime in with my first diary here at Daily Kos.
My handle comes from John Berryman's
Dream Song #10, which begins, "There were strange gatherings. A vote would come ..." It has an abstract but weirdly compelling political resonance for me. And it has come to stand for the sort of tongue-tied deference I feel, in admiration and appreciation of this community, which has resulted in my sitting on the sidelines until now.
I came to YearlyKos, first and foremost, to learn. I came on an impulse, feeling that something important was in store. Words just cannot approach how instructive and inspiring the past few days have been for me. I feel energized to get more involved in local politics, and armed with so many new perspectives and tools to advance the causes to which I already devote much effort.
Perhaps the most moving message I took to heart is that everyone is encouraged to speak up and reach out to one another here. To that end, I hope to contribute something to the discourse on DailyKos by focusing on one area of my (albeit, limited) expertise. I'll look forward to sharing with you some reflection on issues and events that come to my attention through my work at the National Coalition Against Censorship, and related matters. Thanks to everyone who made this weekend such a memorable and transformative experience.