The Obamas wave to an adoring Ohio crowd
Yesterday was an incredible day here in Columbus. Barack Obama and his family came into town for a visit and there was a large rally on the State Lawn. 60,000 people showed up. When I arrived at 8am to check in for my volunteer shift, the line of people was already down three city blocks.
The music started playing over the loud speakers around 9:30 and it didn’t stop until Barack came on stage at 1pm. We danced and screamed and pushed and cried our way to the best possible place in the house. I was assigned to the ADA section and assisted the community members with special needs. Their seats were RIGHT behind Barack on stage and also included the VIP seating for guests such as Governor Ted Strickland. I don’t know how it ended up that I got this ridiculous opportunity, but I did.
I don’t know how to describe what it feels like to be at a rally like this. Two days before the most historic election of my lifetime. Surrounded by THOUSANDS who look so different from me. Yet we were all there for one cause. To be part of history. As he spoke about the economy, about equality, and CHANGE. And I was completely overwhelmed. It was everything I wanted to experience on this journey.
Me in front of Obama doing his thing
To top it all off- because of my amazing vantage point, Barack came off the stage after speaking to us about his vision for the future and literally walked right over to where I was standing (with a bunch of others) and shook hands. Specifically exciting for me- he shook MY hand. And his handshake was exactly what I imagined a presidential handshake should feel like.
I thought about not washing my hand. But then I realized he must have shaken hundreds of peoples’ hands and that I needed to prevent myself from being exposed to any bugs that might prevent me from getting ill for the last 48 hours of this campaign. So I caved. I washed my hand. But the memory of that moment will never be washed away.
A Young Obama supporter
Inevitably, I woke up and feel horrible today. I’m not blaming Barack; I’ve been trying to keep this one at bay for at least three days. 16 hour days of high stress and productivity will test anyone’s immune system. How Barack isn’t hospitalized right now, I just don’t understand.
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Janelle K. Eagle is infamous for always having her hands tied up in multiple projects simultaneously. She's directed a lot of theater, worked on some films, and raised lots of money for non-profits. She travels all the time and loves to share her videos, photography and writing via this blog. 
