Going home to a foreign country

(San Jose, Costa Rica)–The Obama victory celebration in San Jose, Costa Rica was small but dedicated. It started with my partners Dave and Joe convincing the bartender to turn the televisions to CNN. It ended much later. I shouldn’t have been surprised how many people believed as I did that what happened Tuesday night was a good thing. Regardless, for a group of people who spend most of their time trying to take each other’s money, this poker circuit was largely behind Obama.

It’s 11:30am here in San Jose. I have a little time before I have to go to the airport and fly back home. I suspect we’ll have to fly around a hurricane to get to Charlotte. Makes no difference to me. I’m going home to a country I hope to not recognize. I knew when I left that I’d be returning to a vastly different nation. I just didn’t know which one it would be.

So, the election went the way I wanted it to. Now, it’s up to Obama and his people to do what they said they’d do. It’s up to everyone else to hold him to his promises. We expect no less than the spirit and action he guaranteed.

We’ll all be watching, Mr. President-elect. Let’s make sure when I come home next time, it’s not to disappointment.