I don't know if it is me, or the people in my immediate world, but hope isn't a crime. Today I listened to President Obama's speech twice. On purpose. I got something out of it each time, something different each time. The first time with DS1 watching it live. The second time with both boys and friends after wine.
It strikes me that President Obama is trying to include everyone, and trying to change our thoughts about our individual ability to effect the future. The future is not caste in stone, we are to rise up and own it, no matter where we are starting from. We should strive to take care of one another as well as our planet. I'm not blind, I am not deaf, I see and hear these things in his speeches. It also strikes me that there are people that only want to be part of a fringe movement and have trouble with his trying to include everyone. Wow. Who knew needing to be part of the fringe would become so important that progress for the whole would not be a worthy cause?
Why this on a parenting/adoption blog you may ask. Fair question. Because tonight a couple people who just met me, just met the boys tried to tell me that it was I that was influencing them into the "good" boys that they were tonight. While my ego would love to say yes, and I do think that teaching them rules and boundaries is important for them to learn what behaviour is acceptable and how to monitor themselves, I totally don't want to under serve what each of them bring to the table which is so much greater than my coaching. My coaching is only to try and bring out their best, unfortunately as defined by my definition of good, which is colored by societal norms.
I look at President Obama, and I think the nay-sayers are doing the same thing. Totally underestimating what he is bringing to the table, which is a desire to engage all parties. Frankly, this might fail. I often tell myself that an argument is only worth having if the other participants are willing to listen. But, kudos for his trying. And yeah, I want to believe it will work.
The boys observe and absorb the world around us. I'm thrilled that today they gained a President that calls for us to take care of one another. It may only be an ideal. He may not succeed in historical retrospective 100 years from now. But today I am glad to have a man in office that at least can articulate a dream could be a fantastic reality, a dream that we can share in our household, a dream that I can teach and will teach on an individual level.
Where is the inspiration, typically I'd say in my kids. Tonight I will say it is also in those million plus people that thought waiting in 30 degree weather to hear a new president speak about having a dream to collaborate and a president that has the courage to collaborate with everyone if they show a willingness, their collective hope also inspires me.
3 comments:
I love your comments on Obama's speech yesterday. It inspired my 17 year old and it inspired me to believe again that we can make progress through our garbled political system and bring about change that we desperately need and return to the visions of those who fought so hard for our freedoms and the opportunities we have in this land. That vision, dream and ideals are real and possible for everyone if we band together and push ahead toward them. Everyone who founded this country had those dreams and ideals once and we need the drive back to achieve them.
I refuse to listen to those who want to bring that vision down. Including the one I married. Like so many I think they want to sit back and see what Obama can do without even considering he can't do it alone. That isn't the vision this country was built on and it can't go forward that way. They almost want it to fail so they can say see he couldn't do anything rather than jump in with both feet and see how they can help it succeed. This is our country, our future, out children's future, the world's future...we have to think bigger than the security of our own living room and whats in it for me and offer our support and elbow grease to making it succeed by sheer determination and with the knowledge that we can!
I also love your SF adventure. Following the locals is always the best way to see the world and find its real treasures! You definitely did!
beautifully written post! hope your trip went well...looking forward to catching up! xo
Hope isn’t a crime, it is the lifeblood of action and change and on behalf of the over one million people I was standing shoulder to shoulder with in 18 degree weather when we arrived at the Washington Mall, it’s what kept us warm as we waited for the inauguration to begin. It was so inspiring to be there with people from all over the country and all over the world. I don’t know if they showed it on TV, but my favorite sign was “I traveled 400 years to be here today.” We were alternately jumping up and down to keep warm and in exhilaration at Obama's words, his call to action, his inclusive nature, attitude and the hope made real in his personal journey that if you put your mind to it, your heart, your soul and your strength to it, you can make a difference. It’s a journey to believe in and make a part of your own life as so many people made that first step to do either in person or in spirit on that cold winter day. Don’t let anyone take the glow that warmed a nation and much of the world that day from you.
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