A Sense of Wonder

“Thank you!” Her eyes shone with gratitude and love as she looked out into the audience and waved. This was it. The moment she fought for throughout the primary. “Thank you so much everybody! Thank you!”

She prepared herself to move on with her acceptance speech, but the crowd began to chant her name. It was exhilarating hearing Balcázar chanted by thousands of voices, and despite the ethnic diversity in the audience, despite the differences in native tongues, they chanted her surname in the manner that she herself pronounced it. It was a beautiful moment that brought her immeasurable joy and rendered her mute. For how could she begin a speech when all those people were chanting? How could she silence them when they were bringing to life her dreams? When they themselves were celebrating a hard fought victory? She couldn’t. All she could do was stand on that podium with a massive grin on her face, all she could do was connect with individuals in the crowd, to look them directly in the eyes and thank them, because this was as much their moment as it was hers. Without them, without their votes, without their energy and commitment to her campaign, she wouldn’t have secured the Democratic Party’s nomination.

“To Chairman Gifford and to my fellow Californians,” she began after quite some time. “It is with profound gratitude and great humility that I accept your nomination for the United States Senate.”

The crowd didn’t wait for her to finish talking, the moment they heard her say she accepted, they roared with elation and clapped enthusiastically. They were one step closer to sending their candidate to Washington, they were almost there, just two more months left, just the special election to get through and if everything went as they hoped, she would become their United States Senator from California, and that was worth celebrating. So they clapped until their hands stung, they cheered, they bellowed, they proclaimed their love and chanted her name. They made her feel as though she’d secured the Democratic Presidential nomination, and overwhelmed with gratitude, she lifted her hands and clapped. Had it been at all possible, she would have burst into tears right then and there, she would have allowed those grateful tears to stream down her cheeks, but crying was forbidden. Crying was political suicide for a female politician. If her opponents saw her cry they would label her as being emotionally unstable, as unfit to lead. As such, she held back those tears with a beautiful smile, she applauded her supporters, she thanked them, and when she felt enough time had passed, she spoke once more.

“Let me express my thanks to the passionate candidates who embarked on this journey with me. To Assemblyman Wang who has done an incredible job fighting to bring back jobs to California, to Representative Campbell who has tirelessly fought on the behalf of the environment and public health. These are public servants who strive on a daily basis to better the lives of the people of this great state. It is because of their commitment to California that this primary was as strongly contested as it was. There were three individuals who above all else, love California and its people. There were three candidates who believe that California’s best days are still to come, and it was a privilege and an honor to have been in their company. That is why, shortly after having been informed of my nomination, I reached out to them and assured them that their causes would not be forgotten. They are causes which I strongly believe in, they are causes which I will relentlessly fight for, because there is no reason why Californians should abandon their state to look for work, there is no reason for us not to have clean air and not to have water reserves in times of crisis, there is no reason why any of our inhabitants should be without healthcare! This is California – our home, and we deserve better!”

“Hell yeah, we do!” came a shout from the crowd.

And the moment it was heard, there was applause. It was something that resonated strongly with them. They all knew someone that had left the state in pursuit of financial security elsewhere, a friend or family member that had relocated to Utah or Texas or another state where the cost of living was infinitely cheaper. The struggle was real. It was felt on a daily basis, and although it was only the beginning of the actual campaign, they felt they had the right person at the helm.

As the crowd clapped, Paulina continued to smile. She looked out into the audience, doing her best to connect with as many supporters as she could. She knew from personal experience that that would make a person’s day, that that had the potential to inspire them, because years earlier, during a Hillary Clinton rally held in San Francisco, Hillary had caught Paulina’s gaze, she had given her a smile and that filled Paulina with so much joy and confidence, that made her keep fighting for the dream that seemed so farfetched. And if she could do that for some other kid, then she’d consider herself a success. She was now in a position to inspire, she was now capable of being someone’s hero, and while it was a little unnerving, it was also incredibly satisfying.

“And while I lack the words to properly convey my gratitude, I will nonetheless attempt to do so.” Her eyes shone with sincerity. It wasn’t an act. She really didn’t think she had the right words to thank the people who had canvassed for her, who had voted, who had worked the phone banks, and supported her throughout the journey. “Thank you for believing in me. Thank you so very much for trusting me enough to place your faith in me. That’s not something I take lightly. How could I? You have entrusted me with your hopes and dreams, you decided that I am worthy of representing you and making decisions on your behalf, and I am deeply humbled and overjoyed, because when this campaign started in July, I wasn’t a front runner. In fact, everyone ruled me out. They said I was just some kid that was playing around with politics, that I shouldn’t be taken seriously and that I’d run out of money in a week. They underestimated me and many of them ignored this campaign, but instead of being discouraged, we worked harder. We focused on making genuine connections with the great people of this state, we decided that it didn’t matter what the pundits said, what mattered was what the people thought, and it is with great certainty that I say that the reason I am standing here with this smile on my face is because of you. It’s because you came out to the barbecues in the park and had burgers and carne asada with us, it’s because we took our puppies to the local dog park and discussed the issues while we used the pooper scoopers, it’s because you gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my passion and commitment to this great state. You gave me a chance and I am eternally grateful that you did, because that chance led to this.” She raised her hands and motioned to the crow that was crammed into the Cal State Los Angeles Gymnasium. “This campaign is here thanks to you. It’s your campaign. It’s a reflection of California, and when I look out into this crowd, I know it’s true. This crowd is representative of the rich cultural diversity of this great state, and it’s that diversity that makes this state so incredible. Believe me on that, I have lived in other places. I have lived abroad, I have lived on the East Coast, and there is no place like California! Anyone who has left knows what I’m talking about. There’s a yearning for warmth, and I’m not just talking about the weather, I’m talking about the people. I’m talking about our food, our languages, and our entertainment! California is incredible. Amo a California. I love it! I love the beaches, the deserts, the valleys, the bay, I love driving up the Pacific Coast Highway on a beautiful day. I just love this state and its people. And I want to ensure that every single Californian has the opportunities that I have had. That’s why I’m here! That’s why you’re here with me! We are working towards a common goal. We want to bring jobs back to California, we want sustainable clean energy, we want universal healthcare so that no one has to worry about whether or not they can financial afford being sick! We are here because we believe that women are intelligent human beings that are capable of making decisions regarding their reproductive health, we are here because we believe that the LGBT community deserves the same rights as any heterosexual, we are here because we believe that it is time for comprehensive immigration reform. We are here because we believe that California is great, but that it can be so much better.” It was then that her smile faltered. That a serious expression took over. “This is our moment, our opportunity to be the change we wish to see, and it’s not going to be easy, progress always has its enemies, but I give you my word that I will work tirelessly to not only better the lives of the people of this great state, but the lives of all Americans. If we come together, we can do anything! That is the beauty of democracy. It’s the beauty of this nation. Yes, it’ll be tough, there’ll be headaches and bumps along the way, but what matters is that we see it through, what matters is that we never stop working, because we can do great things.”

“Yes we can!” came a shout from the audience.

“Yes we can!” she repeated. “We can do anything we set our minds to know and I know it’s a cliché thing to say, but it’s the truth. My parents always told me that, and when others didn’t believe in me, my parents believed that I could get into Stanford. They worked tirelessly to provide me with the opportunities that they did not have in their native Mexico. They always told me to keep working, to never stop, and as you all know, I graduated from Stanford summa cum laude, I graduated from Oxford with a celebratory first, I graduated from Harvard Law with honors. These were all things that statistically speaking, a first generation American from Azusa should not have been able to do, but I did them. I did them because I believed in myself and because my parents had unwavering faith in me.” It was then that she looked over to the front row, and when she did, she saw her parents crying and they might’ve been crying, but they had never looked prouder in their entire lives. “These are my parents,” she motioned towards. “They have been on the campaign trail with me since day one, and I’m not talking about the day I announced back in July, they have been campaigning with me since I was in kindergarten and went home from school announcing that I was going to be a Senator. They have been with me since then, they have supported and loved me, they have taught me that with hard work anything is possible, and I wholeheartedly believe that.” She smiled affectionately at her parents before looking away. “These next two months are going to be the hardest two months this campaign has faced. We are no longer facing Democrats, we are facing the GOP. There will be attack ads, there will be mudslinging, but we will not be deterred. They can bring on their wrecking ball if they like, but I’m not going anywhere. I am committed to what we have started together, and we’re going to show them what we’re capable of!”