[I might have gotten a little carried away. Pathos abounds. I'm just excited. I'm sorry. I also spoke for an imaginary 'us' as if I am somehow the spokesperson of the non-U.S. (or at least the European)-world. Maybe I should be, but alas, I am not. I didn't want to be presumptuous. My sincere apologies roughly 6.4 billion people. Haha.]
I wonder whether most Americans, regardless of which candidate they supported during the long '08 campaign, have any idea about this. How great this feels. How excited the rest of the world is.
Americans as a whole are pretty self-confident already. Greatest nation, city upon a hill, and all that. I feel bad that I have to inflate the American ego even more, but here it comes: You do matter a lot to the rest of us. We do care about you and your actions. Your economic policies, your foreign policy, your opinions on issues like gun control, death penalty, abortion. - We might not agree or even violently oppose them. Still, we listen to what you have to say and we are watching you closely.
You are like a friend and lover to us. A slightly over-confident friend we admire, yet observe warily sometimes. We never really know what you are up to. We hope it is another great adventure we can participate in. We sometimes fear you might get yourself and us into major trouble.
We always admire you though. The ideals you stand for. The confident way you carry yourself. The unwavering faith you have in your own strength. You might even say we love you. And we want you to love us, too.
Right now, it feels like our long-term affair, an often painful relationship after all, is reignited. We're on fire. YOU'RE on fire. You did it. You elected a politician we've had a crush on for months. We feel the potential for great romance. An epic love story. We don't know what the next four years will bring, but we're excited. And hopeful. And full of anticipation of things to come.
There is lingering doubt that this might sound too good to be true. Great enthusiasm and hope bear tremendous potential for crushing disappointment and despair.
We're ready though. Ready to take risks. Ready to go out on a limb. Ready to trust you.
America. Obama. You make us want to be a better friend.
November 5, 2008
November 4, 2008
Voting - I'm Loving It
Maybe my life is just really and truly sad. Or maybe I just really and truly appreciate the beauty and all-around-awesomeness of this day. Today. Election Day.
Finally.
I followed the primaries, I've seen the debates, I watched the TV commentaries and specials, I read the newspaper articles. I tried to get more insight into the issues I care most about or should care more about: Education, health care, the economy. I had discussions with friends, colleagues, and online weirdos.
I'm psyched.
I'm also bummed because for some reason I cannot wrap my head around the fact that a nation as grand and awe-inspiring as the USA (Yes, I'm a fan...) is experiencing and predicting such an abundance of problems. Morally reprehensible campaigning, disenfranchised blocks of voters, voter fraud, etc.
But more on this some other time...Maybe.
As usual, I do have a candidate I am rooting for (...with quite a bit of enthusiasm, too. Ha!), but today I'm even more excited about voting.
It's a simple enough process; a process most people take for granted or even choose to ignore.
Voting is a right and privilege many of our ancestors did not have. So they fought for it. Bitterly sometimes. Deciding not to vote or claiming that politics is not 'interesting' to you is like saying your life is not interesting to you. We live in societies. With other people. We all have shared interests. We drive on the same roads, go to the same schools, eat the same food. We all need a doctor or a police officer sometimes. We share responsibilities and tasks in societies.
So, hell yes! Transportation, education, food safety, health care, law enforcement -everything- is to some extent a shared endeavor.
Why would you not want to participate in the process that comes up with laws, guidelines and regulations? Why would you not want to make your voice heard?
Many of our contemporaries in other countries still do not have this right and privilege. Their opinions go unheard. They cannot cast their ballot and make a difference.
We can.
I feel supremely cheesy as I am typing all this, but I don't care: Today I want to revel in the glory of the voting process, the beauty of the democratic system. Voting. So simple, yet so beautiful.
I'm loving it.
Finally.
I followed the primaries, I've seen the debates, I watched the TV commentaries and specials, I read the newspaper articles. I tried to get more insight into the issues I care most about or should care more about: Education, health care, the economy. I had discussions with friends, colleagues, and online weirdos.
I'm psyched.
I'm also bummed because for some reason I cannot wrap my head around the fact that a nation as grand and awe-inspiring as the USA (Yes, I'm a fan...) is experiencing and predicting such an abundance of problems. Morally reprehensible campaigning, disenfranchised blocks of voters, voter fraud, etc.
But more on this some other time...Maybe.
As usual, I do have a candidate I am rooting for (...with quite a bit of enthusiasm, too. Ha!), but today I'm even more excited about voting.
It's a simple enough process; a process most people take for granted or even choose to ignore.
Voting is a right and privilege many of our ancestors did not have. So they fought for it. Bitterly sometimes. Deciding not to vote or claiming that politics is not 'interesting' to you is like saying your life is not interesting to you. We live in societies. With other people. We all have shared interests. We drive on the same roads, go to the same schools, eat the same food. We all need a doctor or a police officer sometimes. We share responsibilities and tasks in societies.
So, hell yes! Transportation, education, food safety, health care, law enforcement -everything- is to some extent a shared endeavor.
Why would you not want to participate in the process that comes up with laws, guidelines and regulations? Why would you not want to make your voice heard?
Many of our contemporaries in other countries still do not have this right and privilege. Their opinions go unheard. They cannot cast their ballot and make a difference.
We can.
I feel supremely cheesy as I am typing all this, but I don't care: Today I want to revel in the glory of the voting process, the beauty of the democratic system. Voting. So simple, yet so beautiful.
I'm loving it.
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