well, the election is over. a few months ago i was posting articles on ron paul, who did not make it as the republican candidate, obviously. within the past few weeks i have been presented with a new thought: not voting. it sounds silly now, but i literally never thought of intentionally not voting. (yes i thought of not voting because i was lazy but not for a REAL reason) i tossed the idea of not voting around a bit, but i really never felt strongly enough to make not voting an intentional action. as a result, yesterday afternoon i, and three friends, piled into my car and headed to kokomo. i voted, we ate a good meal and we came back to school. nothing seemed significant to me. i did not feel bad about voting and i did not feel good about voting; i just did it.
later that evening my roommate and myself periodically checked the polls and watched obama skyrocket into the lead. before all the results were in obama was declared the winner. i should have left the news off since facebook was a pretty accurate way to check the status of the results:) still, i settled in to watch mccain’s speech and then obama’s. both men spoke graciously and moved me and the millions watching them. as part of the nation panicked and part of it rejoiced i felt a sense of peace. then, as i watched over one million people listen with tears and smiles to obama, the first african american president elect in american history, i felt a tears come into my own eyes. yes, what obama said was promising and passionate and you could see people’s faces hungry for the change he promised. for some it was about democrats in the white house, for some it was about an african american as president, for some it was just the thought that things would be different, that maybe things could get better. people chanted Yes We Can and applauded their new leader.
the tears in my eyes were not for the new president, rather they were for the millions celebrating (and those bitter with disappointment). i watched the citizens of the united states pounce on the thought of hope. i watched and could not help but feel pain at the sight of millions of people searching for something better than what they know. i felt peace. i was not excited. i was not disappointed. i was peaceful. i have found something bigger and better than the american dream. i have stopped trying to achieve the american dream because it only offers disappointment. i have found hope and my hope has brought change into my life.
o God. help me to bring hope and change to those around me. help me to reach out and to offer something better than the norm, help me to overcome the american dream with the knowledge of the life i have found in You.
1 Comment
November 8, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I have never been so excited to NOT be chasing the American dream.
G