Election Night At Southern Hospitality

Last night, my good friend Tiffany and I headed over to Justin Timberlake’s BBQ joint Southern Hospitality, to join other revelers for an election results viewing party.

All Smiles on Election Night: Tiffany and I at Southern Hospitality’s soiree

Taking advantage of unseasonably warm weather, we grabbed a table outside, enjoying a perfect view of the standing room-only crowd and TV sets tuned to CNN. We skipped the $2 Donkey and Elephant shots, splurging calorically instead on warm apple fritters with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

As we watched Obama’s historic win unfold, Tiffany and I talked about how the current economic downturn compares to the Great Depression, clogging up cell phone memory with communications from old flames and shifting global perceptions of the U.S. And then, we watched a seismic shift in the electoral vote tally, joining in the cheers and applause that elicited Obama’s decisive landslide victory.

Earlier, when I was hesitating to go out for the Decision ‘08 festivities because of my recovering foot, Tiffany said we’d probably regret it 20 years from now if we spent this historic night as couch potatoes. She was right. Such a watershed moment deserves the fanfare of celebrating en masse -- and it's even more meaningful when it’s shared with a wonderful friend.