Sarah Palin Rally

*I have not discussed my political views on my blog for a variety of reasons. I am taking a step out there now though. Agree or disagree with me but please be respectful with your comments. If not, I will just delete them.*

So I found out late Thursday that Sarah Palin was coming to Ocala on Saturday.

I immediately wanted to go.

If you know me personally you know I have never been one to get into politics.

Sarah Palin made me stop and listen though.

I have never felt that I could relate to ANY politician in my life. They were all a bunch of old men with lots of money...that could have cared less what I wanted or thought.

The first time I saw her was right after McCAin announced her as his running mate.

When she spoke about her desire to be an advocate for special needs parents I immediately got a lump in my throat. How long has it been since ANYONE in a position of such power given a crap about special needs kids? I honestly don't ever remember anyone in a position such as her caring.

I think she has handled all the negativity about her and her family with grace and dignity.

I went to the Rally on Saturday with my sister Elizabeth, Trishtwo, a friend of Trishtwo's and Makily. I curled Makily's hair and put her in the fall photo outfit.

I did something else I don't do too often.

I took Makily in her wheelchair.

Typically I don't do this if I am going out and about, we use the double stroller. I am still adjusting to the "wheelchair". The loaner we have looks like a wheelchair (the kidkart was typically mistaken for a stroller) and we get more looks than I would like to admit these days. Some are loving looks while others are rude gawks that make me want to smack someone.

We got to the Rally and had a hell of a time parking. I smart mouthed a cop on a horse for being a jerk. I just was not in the mood and she had us park in a dirt/grass parking lot on a hill....KNOWING we had a child in a wheelchair...and knowing we would have to go down that hill...when I saw the hill later I assure you there was NO ONE IN HELL we could have safely gotten Makily down it. There was handicapped parking but she was too much of an arrogant "be-och" to tell us. Thankfully someone else saw us struggling and told us.

So to the cop on the horse who was not only rude but ignorant....your a skank.

As we were walking up to go in the gate I said "gee this isn't very wheelchair friendly". There was a walkway that I had to get Makily up on with no ramp. IMMEDIATELY after I said that two men that were walking ahead of us, picked up Makily's chair and helped us up the ramp.

I got a HUGE lump in my throat and was able to choke out "Thank you".

We got inside after going through security and found a spot to sit. I noticed several people looking at Makily but for some reason I didn't care. I guess in my mind the person they were there to support had a special needs kid so they may as well be nice to us! :-)

We got there about noon and Sarah was not due to speak until about 3. Makily started to get agitated and very hot. I was starting to get nervous because I did not think it would get hot. It's been VERY chilly here the last week. Makily does NOT handle the heat well. I had no shade for the chair and was holding her and blocking the sun myself the best I could.

A very nice lady whom I had noticed looking at Makily several times came over with a black umbrella and said "She looks so hot, let's find a way to get this to stick on the chair". The next thing I know there are three other women surrounding Makily's chair trying to rig the umbrella to it, to shield my baby from the sun.

I felt the lump forming in my throat again.

Finally they got it to stay and Makily was shielded from the sun. At one point it fell and the nice lady came back and draped t-shirts on the chair for even more of a shade.



I couldn't get over how nice these strangers were being to us.

Mrs. Palin arrived and they played "We will rock you" as her caravan drove up. I got goosebumps seeing this huge crowd all pumped up and her bus drive by.

Her bus arriving.


She spoke eloquently and with many wonderful points.

She spoke about how Obama recently claimed that if you do not agree with his "share the wealth" views that you are selfish.



I am sorry but how is it selfish to want to hold on to the money you have worked so hard to earn? Is it wrong to want to decide where your money goes? We pay taxes just like everyone else and still get NO HELP when it comes to Makily whom the government agrees is "severally disabled".

She also spoke about her passion for special needs children. It was then that I felt many people looking at Makily and I...and they were lovingly smiling. I was fighting tears at this point and so incredibly proud of my baby.

When she was finished speaking she went up to parts of the crowd. A lady standing near us said "do you want to meet her"? I said yes and she said COME ON. She PUSHED everyone out of her way and we bowled through the crowd. We got all the way to the front and unfortunately Mrs. Palin had moved to the other side and we couldn't get over there. Once again I was in shock at how these ordinary people who did not know us from Adam were so adamant to help me...and Makily. One of the ladies told me she lost her 16 year old daughter last year. She said she was trying to get pregnant and that she would take any baby. A special needs child or not. We both got teary eyed and I hugged her. I wish I could have gotten the names of all the people that helped us and were kind to us yesterday.

It was a great day and just re-enforced my support of McCain and Palin.





Thanks to Elizabeth for these pics. I have a couple more I will put up later. My camera died right after Mrs. Palin got there.

Had to post this picture because it had me rolling afterwards. Elizabeth kept trying to get a picture of Sarah and this one woman kept moving in the way.

Does this lady have scary hair or what? Elizabeth had many shots of "Hair Lady".