Election Night in New York City –
Just thought I’d post this quick drawing of the Empire State Building, lit half blue and half red in honor of Election Day. For those of you who don’t know, the Empire State Building displays different colored lights each night, depending on what day it is, a holiday, etc. (On many nights it’s just white lights, art deco style.) Of course the red light is for the Republicans and the blue is for the Democratic party.
This is the view of the Empire State that I see when I walk home from the L subway stop to my apartment in the East Village. The mood on the L train tonight was very expectant, as people are all wondering what tomorrow will bring. One man came flying down the stairs yelling, “He (Obama) took OHIO!! It’s ALL OVER folks, he took OHIO!!” Predictably, all the New Yorkers on the platform looked away, but smiled slightly to themselves. I was with my friend Margaret, we were coming back from teaching our drawing class in Brooklyn, and Marg looked right at the guy and smiled to him. I nudged her, and told her to remember to be a good New Yorker and don’t engage anyone yelling on the subway, even if you like what they are yelling about!!! (Marg is from St. Thomas, I’m from the Bronx, New York, and the “don’t engage” New Yorker rule is kind of a running joke between us.) But anyway, this was the view of the Empire State Building that I saw on my way home tonight, and I wanted to post a quick little drawing of it in honor of Election Night. I can’t even watch the results, the up and down roller coaster ride of polls and projections is much too emotional for me. I am going to go to bed, secure in the knowledge that I will awake in a brand-new Obama led United States!!!