The day after the most incredible election in my lifetime, I flew to Washington, DC, for an all-day meeting in a windowless room. I was a little sorry not to be at the Oxfam office in Boston where I knew feelings had run deep and strong about the course history could take on Nov. 4, and on Nov. 5, I wanted to be able to mark that moment with my cube mates—several of whom are former reporters like me.

But I got my jolt of joy: When the meeting finally ended and I wandered out into the DC dusk, the first thing I noticed was a huge line that had formed across the street. What were they waiting for? The Washington Post—with election and elation all bundled together for take-home commemoration. Roaring across the top of the fold was this headline:  “Obama Makes History.” I got in line for my copy, thrilled to be in the nation’s capital with hordes of people lining up to get their news fix in a country where freedom of the press ensures us freedom to make historic electoral choices.

And in a bit of irony, you know what hard copies of historic headlines are selling for a few days later? eBay has copies of the New York Times on the market for $100 each.  How American is that?