I can’t begin to describe the elation and excitement that I have experienced in the last few days. Barack Obama won the presidential election. Let me rephrase that… BARACK OBAMA WON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION!!! *ahem* Sorry let me compose myself…
This man won the hearts of the many in this nation and has won their votes and confidence to make him the president-elect. He has had the audacity to use the word ‘Hope’ in the deepest sense of the word, reaching out to us as citizens and asking, challenging, and inspiring us to have hope for a better world. On a gut level, he asked us to have hope that our desires for better could be more than a fleeting figment in the face of the fear and doubt that we have had for so many years. Hope that we may see our country once more as a “shining city upon a hill”.
He backed that sentiment up with the promise of change. Change that he would help catalyze using the power of the presidency as well as his intellect for the nation. Change which we as a people could more than hope for, but make for ourselves. His very election being the first of many notable and dramatic changes that show we are so much more than a herd of panicked sheep. For the first time in many years I feel emboldened to try and bring about constructive changes in my sphere of influence to help my community.
I look forward to seeing what this new future set before us has in store. We will have so many opportunities to grow as individuals and as a nation. I hope to see an increase in classic American can-do attitude, to see people not shrink from a fight for what they need or want. I hope to see a future where we are all united in a new push to help ourselves, our neighbors, and our country.
Reading over the sentiment expressed above it’s hard not to feel like it is somewhat over the top and very sappy. But it very much represents the sheer vastness of the excitement I feel for the future. I realize that, though I very much enjoy Barack Obama and feel confident in him as a leader, mistakes will most certainly be made. Hopefully they will be small, but there will be mistakes. I know that this new president will be met with doubt, fear, cynicism and mistrust from many people, I just hope in time that they will be able to see a small glimpse of the vision I see here. I am excited to see what will come and to see how much hope and change the actions of this new administration are able to bring about. I have hope that there will be great changes to help bring us back around to the America I grew up learning about from textbooks and was excited to be citizen of.