My son woke to a new world, this morning. He had slept through the happy screams and honking horns that flooded the streets last night. I shook him gently awake. “I have good news, buddy. Great news, really.” He opened one eye, sleepy and only mildly curious. “What is it,mama?”
“Obama is President.”
My five year old sat bolt upright and threw his arms around me ina fierce hug. “Yessss!” He half-whispered.
I’ve been thinking about this moment in history from so many angles, today. A man of color to lead our country. The son of a single mother. My son will grow up in a very different world. This hope, this power vested in the people of the United States after a long, sterile drought of ego and self-interest… This is the America my son will know. Obama has given a mandate to the people, a promise to be held accountable by the people, and will build an America that is of the people.
Now comes the hard part. Now we mend a nation and become once again the beacon of liberty and innovation that we always should be. It will require hard work and sacrifice. For the sake of my son and my future grandchildren, I am ready to roll up my sleeves. We will stand with this President and when he asks us to do something, my son and I will proudly say, “yes, Mr. President. Yes, we can.”
Well I for one am overwhelmed with excitement.
**rolling sleeves up**
I cried because this is such an exciting moment in history and I am so glad I would be able to tell my son how during his lifetime this historical moment occurred. I am also looking forward to passing on all of my Obama “memorabilia” so that he can show his kids and grand babies
Patrick, I find your old-guard attitude irritating at best. The true difference in this president-elect is that he has given power back to the people, and we will not only hold him responsible for this administration’s actions, but we will help him through this. As president, he’s inherited a mess greater than any other president before him. If America as a whole doesn’t roll up its sleeves, we’ll fail. And it won’t be his fault. It will be ours. So stop whining and get your back into it, man. Retool. Adapt or die. Evolve.
Misty, it’s incredible how energized this race has made people. I’m glad your seven year old got it!
Let’s see how you feel in a eight months or so, when the “new car smell” has worn off and you realize, perhaps, that you’ve been sold a bill of goods.
My seven year old was excited as well. He was keeping up with the election, had a mock election at school, and voted for Obama.