I was there the night history was made, when Hillary Clinton accepted her place in history as the First Female Presidential Candidate in the United States of America. Oh what a night! June 7, 2016.

 

 

I almost didn’t attend the event. I am leaving for a business trip in five days and there is much I have to do, but history called.

 

 

When I heard Hillary Clinton was the presumptive candidate of the Democratic Party to be the First Female Presidential Candidate of these great United States of America, I had all I could do to contain myself, hold back from screaming and  jumping up & down in the streets.

 

I knew I had to run home, drop all my belongings and run to watch the results of the primaries being held and Hillary Clinton accepting her place in history at her party.

 

I got myself down to the water taxi line to head across to Brooklyn.

 

This night, long in coming, placed smiles on the faces of the people in line. We were all strangers, there to celebrate history,  laughing, telling Hillary stories, bathing in victory. I cannot express the variety of emotions that passed through me. Every there woman mentioned her mother and we all wished our mothers were here to see this day. This can actually happen, our first female president and Hillary Rodham Clinton is the right woman at the right time.

 

Landing on the shores of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, one could not see where the long lines ended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having my press credentials, I went to the front of the line and gained access immediately.

 

As I entered The Duggal Greenhouse, a huge warehouse where Hillary & Bernie

debated in April, I was greeted by euphoria. The people lucky enough to be chosen to stand on the bleachers behind the podium were already in place. The crowds were entering, taking their places wherever they could find space. I found mine in the press corps area.

 

 

 

It was about 7:00 p.m. and it was going to be a long night. Clinton wasn’t scheduled to speak until 10:00 p.m. We all watched the returns on the big screen plastered on one sidewall. There was a party atmosphere and whenever Hillary won a state the crescendo roar would begin, flags waving, music blasting, people jumping up and down and dancing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the signs told the whole story. A historical evening, the shattering glass and Love conquering all.

 

 

 

We were standing in place and partying for 3 ½ hours celebrating, dancing,  waving flags, with the soundtracks blasting of Lady Gaga, and others and the shouting of

 

H – I – L – L – A – R – Y      H – I – L – L – A – R – Y     H – I – L – L – A – R – Y

 

 

It was contagious, euphoric happiness. And our feet were killing us.

 

And then….there was one strong, loud blast of a new music track and we all knew the time had come to see HER, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the First Female Presidential Candidate in the United States of America.

 

But first, Madison McFerrin sings the Star Spangled Banner so proudly we hail.

 

Next, a video “A History Made /Hillary Clinton” goes up on the sidewall monitor. Done – where is she?  We are all trying to get a look at where she’s going to enter.

 

Then… She enters and all hell breaks loose.

 

As she steps up to the podium, a hush comes over the crowd. This is what we’ve been waiting for.

 

 

Listening to Hillary Clinton’s historic speech, I could hear my heart pounding inside my chest.  There were tears  flowing down faces all around the room.

“Tonight’s victory is not about one person,

it belongs to generations of women and men who struggled

and have sacrificed and made this moment possible.”

With the applause and screams interrupting her periodically, you would think this was November 2016 and she had

already won the presidency.

 

To us, standing there we felt like she had.

 

 

Following her speech, the room exploded again with  thunderous applause, screaming, yelling, and pure Joy.

Then, husband Bill, daughter Chelsea and son-in-law Marc joined Hillary on stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suddenly, the Clinton family faded from view.  The party had ended, for now.

 

The celebration continued outside as we left the venue and headed back to Manhattan via the water taxi. On the NYC bus across town, we were chanting Hillary’s name, laughing, talking and celebrating this courageous woman whose mother taught her to always stand up to bullies.

 

That night, I slept in my Hillary Clinton for President t-shirt. I wanted to stay close to the victory of our First Female Presidential Candidate. I love saying that. I love saying President Hillary Clinton more.

 

Let us take time to celebrate this victory. It feels really good.

 

Then, we must unite and work hard to get Hillary Clinton elected as the First Female President of the US. That fight is just beginning.

 

I closed my eyes thinking about Celia Burack, my own mom, and what she taught me.

“Be true to yourself, don’t let anyone else decide your choices in life,

and you can do whatever you set your mind to accomplish.

 

Thank you mom, and thank you Dorothy Rodham for giving us Hillary.