Historic day

Today is indeed a historic day, Egyptians directly electing their upcoming president. Its not historic because of the elections, but because of what many Egyptians have made it to be. I am not participating in it, but I am proud of so many Egyptians today. I am assured again that Egyptians deserve better, much better. They are not getting what they deserve yet, but many are sure working for it.

Those benefiting from maintaining the status quo and want to maintain it for their personal gains are the minority.

Yes, the majority maybe silent, but many of them are speaking today, or trying to, in their own calm and peaceful way.

There are those whom are striving for a better change, risking their own security at times, ensuring as much as possible that today's elections are monitored, exposing any of its flaws, so that Mubarak doesn't have it easy as he usually does. Make his life hell until he gives in bit by bit is not a bad strategy. They've disrupted the system for sure, and they are pioneers for sure, for goals which are greater than themselves, for gains that they hope would benefit more people than just those they know, for betterment of the whole society. They've seen and lived through something wrong, and they're working hard to change it. Against all odds, they did achieve something, however small it might look.

And then there are Egyptians going about their daily lives, not necessarily fighting for grand goals, but simply trying to be good citizens, doing good within their limited scope. Lots of these today. I was just surrounded by many of them at work this morning. Some of them proud to have their finger colored, indicating that they've casted their vote this morning. One of them was willing to travel to Banha to cast his vote there when he faced trouble initially to vote at one of the poll stations. A female colleague was able to vote without the voter card, so many others were encouraged to go and vote even though they don't have voter cards. They left work and went to a near by polling station. Came back extremely disappointed for not being allowed to vote without a voter card. Every few minutes someone drops by telling his or her experience in being denied to vote, and the haphazardness in the polling stations. Yet they were proud, unsatisfied and disappointed but proud.

Some of them saw a polling station for the first time in their lives. Some kept going to different polling stations until they were able to vote, some still weren't allowed. A guy voted and was optimistic that something will be different tomorrow because he casted his vote then prayed for something good to happen.

Another female colleague was able to vote in another polling station without a voter card, so a discussion arised as to the big mess in the voting procedures. Some are encouraged to try to go vote again. News arrived that another one of those who went to try that polling station was allowed to vote without a voter card, so many have decided to go vote there after work. Finally, phew!

Later in the day, I went home after work and urged my father to join me and come vote. He kept resisting and I kept urging. I even told him I'll let him vote for his friend No'aman Goma'a if he wants. He said he doesn't find him suitable as president, but he'll join me anyway. This would be his first time to vote since the 60's during Nasser's.

Yet ofcourse, the pro-Mubaraks were all allowed to vote smoothly with their white cards with Mubarak's picture on it. Many of them did not get their finger colored so that they can go around more than one polling station to cast their Mubarak votes. Something other than their finger got stained though.

A demonstration is ongoing in Tahrir Square right now shouting that Mubarak is fraud, "Mubarak Batel", chants which are shaking the square. A few hours later, the demonstration is doing really well, now walking through the streets of downtown, untouched (so far), but watched closely by the high ranking security officers, and by many onlookers (some onlookers were supportive, some called the demonstrators losers (seyya3), and some started to argue that they are not willing to try someone other than Mubarak to experiment on them).

But Egypt is different today. The pink colored finger is an honor that almost everyone is trying to have.