Holy crap, you guys. What a fantastic day! You might want to settle in and get cozy before you read this, because it’s going to be one of those epic posts where I’m too excited to leave anything out, and where I give you waaaay more detail than you probably want. But you’re just going to have to deal, because I’m totally fired up and utterly unable to contain myself over how much fun today was.
SO, Daisy and I met downtown at 11am this morning – to meet some of the other Tea Party volunteers and check in with the organizers and just get a feel for what the day was going to be like. And from the moment we arrived, it rained. It rained and rained and rained and basically just never stopped raining. This is the explanation for the fact that we’re in caps and braids. We would have preferred to look a little more fabulous and a little less like drowned cats, but this is the weather we had to work with. So while we were getting rained on, we pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that no one was going to show up. The forecast called for constant, relentless, pouring rain, and for once in Indiana meteorological history, the forecast was actually right. And you know what? It would have been very tempting, if Daisy and I hadn’t been a part of the program, to just stay indoors and not deal with the crappy weather. And so I wouldn’t have blamed a single person for not coming.
There was to be a march starting at monument circle at 5pm, which would take the participants from the circle to our gathering site a few blocks away. Daisy and I, along with several other volunteers and speakers, waited for the marchers to arrive, hoping against hope that we’d see maybe 25-50 people coming down the street. And what we saw nearly made us cry. HUNDREDS of people marched towards us. Hundreds and hundreds of people, holding signs and smiling and getting completely drenched in the pouring rain. BEHOLD:
Amazing. And I can’t tell you how completely fired up we got over the sight of them. The video doesn’t do justice to the swell of pride we felt just watching those folks making their way to the stage area. Truly awesome.
The speaking portion of the program got underway a bit early, because the band was unable to perform or set up their equipment due to the downpour, and you guys, I think we actually did ok! We were nervous, and we may have flubbed up a line or two, but for the most part the crowd seemed really responsive and it was all kinds of fun to serve as the Tea Party cheerleaders. BEHOLD – the first segment of our shpiel, courtesy Jim Allison and Carpe Diem Productions:
Sound quality isn’t the greatest – but you should be able to hear how great the crowd was, and SEE the crowd when our on-the-spot videographer/singer extraordinaire, Ryan Wotherspoon pans out to them at one point in the clip.
All in all – a fantastic experience – and such fun. We’ll have some behind-the-scenes footage on our facebook fan page later this weekend, so be sure to check that out!! There’s also a few more photos from the event after the jump!
Here’s me and Daisy showing off our credentials. Still can’t believe we were asked and ALLOWED to speak. Craaaaazy!!
And here’s a picture of us with Wes Robinson, a fellow speaker, and Ryan Wotherspoon, who sang the National Anthem and gave a shout out to The Mock Dock:
Below is a picture we took with the most ADORABLE chick who peeked into the VIP tent, smiled and waved at us, and when we went out to greet her she said, “Hi! I wear stilettos! I want to help you guys! What can I do?” with all the eagerness and friendliness and preciousness that could possibly come out of a single human being, and Daisy and I wanted to eat her face off she was so cute.
LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Those Tea Party Organizers really know how to put on a show, and we’re so proud to have been included in this one. YAY!
I am SO PROUD of you both! Just wish that I could have been there to support you all in your efforts. Unfortuneately, I had to work in our lovely health care system and take care of those critical rashes the desperately needed to be treated on the 4th of July! I look forward to seeing more of you both out there in the public…. who knows? Hannity might be calling on you soon!
You guys didn’t seem nervous at all. You were fantastic & the crowd was really digging you!
I’m so excited for you both. You Chicks rock!
What a fantastic job the both of you did! It takes a great deal of courage to start a website, and it takes even more courage to stand up in front of a crowd and express what you believe!!!!
I am proud of the both of you and I am proud to call you fellow Americans and Patriots!
Thank you to Daisy and Mockarena!!!
Great job. You two looked like pros
Laurel I could not have said it better. Talk is cheap, you gals are walking the walk, that’s what I love to see, putting your money where your mouth is…the rain even made it better, in your fatigues so to speak and in the trenches rallying the troops. I love it!…excellent, excellent job-what’s next?:-)
Great job girls. I’m betting you will get some more readers to the site from that also.
I was there with you two ladies! I was a volunteer working on the eastern edge of the field, whooping and hollering like an idiot when I saw the marching Patriots making their way toward us. What a sight for sore eyes they were. You’re right, there were hundreds and hundreds! As the front line of the marchers entered the field, the end of the line still was nowhere in sight. Like you, I found myself choking back tears at the sight. It was something I will never forget.
Thank you, Mock and Daisy, for recording their arrival. I love your blog!
Hey you two!
You did a great job at the Tea Party! I heard some great things said about you and I know people were pleased with your part of the program. It did get people fired up.
I was there with the security team. I, and another volunteer, sang a few impromtu songs before the scheduled singers and speakers arrived. (Nothing like wingin it!)
Everyone that I spoke to, was really moved by the awesome crowd that came to show their support. I couldn’t believe my eyes at the hundreds of people that marched onto that field.It literally choked me up too….all those people, young and old, in that awful weather coming to join us there. I’m sure the anti Tea Party people were pleased that it rained all day. But you know what?….I think the fact that all of those people who marched in there in that weather, showed some damned intense resolve to let the elected officials know we’re serious about our determination in unelecting them come 2010 and 2012.
Thanks so much for joining us. People will remember you for sure!