DNC Convention Day 2

After a rough morning (standing and going through resources is exhausting work), I put on my freshly washed, green t-shirt and was off again. I had a little issue finding a place to park at the Alameda/Broadway light rail station but succeeded and got on the train.

Note here: the convention is doing a lot for this city, but one thing is that the trains are full. Yes, Delegates who have had to get hotels south of the city but also business people. Could this actually improve the way people think about mass transit? Will the trains continue to be full of commuters? We can only hope.

Outside the Convention Center, there were the usual vendors and police. Protesters are not allowed in those areas. The police are all in riot gear. The day before, we had talked to some of them. They are all in great spirits even though they are working 9am to midnight for the duration. They are carrying pounds of gear, including a big pack strapped to their leg and blue, plastic handcuffs. One friendly man in blue joked with us when we commented on his heavy load. He said each day they give them more to carry and he was considering going in naked to lessen his load. As I said, they're in good spirits (at least the ones whose jobs are to sit around the Convention Center).

At the volunteer entrance, there were maybe a hundred police being deployed to their various posts. It was quite a sight.

Once inside, the confusion seemed to be less. Day 2 of any event is usually less hectic (as a former convention organizer, I know this very well). I checked in and was told I was on the same team as the day before. Ok, this is good and bad. Good because I was not going to be at the Convention Center (slow in the evenings) but bad because I was in the media tent again. I did find out that none of us would be in the Pepsi Center (the Secret Service had chosen people to be in there for the Greening Team) and that each day the "rules" change. The Secret Service is running the show here. Depending on what they decide, everything changes daily.

While I was sitting and waiting for the start of the shift, I saw a fresh set of volunteers with a few familiar faces mixed in. We have a mandatory 2 shifts that each volunteer must do in order to even be on the team. (There are a few of us who are there for the whole week, though.)

After a much shorter process (one hour less than the day before), we were at the entrance of the Pepsi Center. We go through a "MAG" screening system. At the other end, we re-grouped. Everyone goes through this one or the other one near the CNN Grill. There are police with massive guns and dogs. There was a delegate with an outrageous hat that had to be dog sniffed. Working at the airport, this is a usual thing for me but others totally amaze me with what they think they can take in.

My post this time was in a different tent. I was around Washington Post, Newsweek, and other big names. Again, all written media with a few radio shows thrown in. I was at a very busy station and loved it. Doing this, I've realized so much. But here is where I realized how valuable and important what I'm doing is. So many people came up and put their things in and didn't know what could be composted. When they had to put something in landfill, they felt guilty! Some plastic cups cannot be recycled, and they said, "never again!" Even when they had to put their gum into the landfill bin. They also didn't know they could buy plastic ware or plates made from corn. My job there isn't to collect and sort trash... no it's much more than that! It's to educate others (and myself) about how we can save the Earth. So many people have thanked us for doing this.

If you ever feel good doing volunteer work, helping someone else and not yourself first, you can relate to what I'm about to say. I am always about others first (sometimes to my detriment) and I thrive on this feeling, but this is so different. This is saving the Earth... I can't describe it much more than that. You get it or you don't, I guess.

Anyway, when Hillary did her speech, we all huddled around the large screen TVs and watched. Media from different countries, volunteers and others alike. We had something in common, which was phenomenal. At the end of her speech, the group broke out in applause. It was like I was THERE!

After that, we cleaned out our stations and were released (sort of... everyone just disappeared). I then decided to walk with the Delegates out of the arena and down Speer to the Convention Center to get my train. What I saw and heard will be in another post (in the interest of keeping these short enough to read).

I got home earlier than the night before (after riding on a full train, again) and had to wash my shirt for another day!

Glad you're with me on this journey, stay tuned for Day 3!