My piece of history

I'll try to keep this as apolitical as possible.

So I'm in a bar called Lucky Strike tonight, watching the election returns. It's an upscale bowling alley/bar in Washington's Chinatown neighborhood, which is less China and more The Gap.

When I get there at seven p.m., it's a racially mixed crowd. The returns start rolling in. Every time Obama wins a state, there's applause. So clearly, there's a partisan bent to the place, as you would expect in Washington DC.

When CNN calls Ohio for Obama, there's loud applause.

When CNN calls Virginia for Obama, there's crazy applause.

I look around. Most of the white people have left. The bar crowd is 80 percent black.

I remark to my one of my friends: "I doubt these people have ever cared very much about election returns."

It's a generalization and maybe an unfair one. I don't know.

Shortly after Virginia is called, the polls close on the west coast. CNN calls the presidential election for Obama.

The place goes nuts. There is applause, screaming, an impromptu chant of "yes we can."

A friend of mine goes to the bathroom. He comes back and reports that two grown black men are in the men's room, crying over Obama's election. Crying.

As historic as this moment is, I wonder if something has gone under-noticed here. This is huge for black America. Probably bigger than the media has realized; certainly bigger than I realized.

I walk home from the bar, across the city, up the National Mall and past the Capitol. The Capitol is lit up and is as beautiful as ever. The Mall is quiet. But all around me, in the city, car horns are honking, people are cheering, and the city is alive; it is electric.

It is an amazing feeling.

Addendum: For what it's worth, I thought John McCain delivered one of the most gracious and touching concession speeches I've ever heard last night.

Addendum two: I deleted a piece of information from this post; someone I love and trust thought it might get me into trouble. I disagreed, but removed it anyway. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.