The day Barack Obama got elected as the first African American president of the United States, I was at work, attending a business review, presenting to our company's management board. It was an important career milestone, and a personal one too I suppose, a testament to all the character-building moments of the past year and a half. The presentation went very well, thanks to all the help and support I was given by my bosses and my teammates - a very small victory on the same day that a grand and historic victory was also won.
I don't think you need to be an American to appreciate Obama's journey into the presidency and his promise of change. The day he won the election, I honestly felt a renewed sense of hope in the world. I know that sounds cliche and all, but it was honestly the first time I had ever felt that. I was always under the impression that the world was a pretty messed up place, and that the most a person can do in these crazy times is to live his life in the best way he can and make his small little spot in the world better in the process. I never believed though that anything would happen, that anyone would be able to convince me that a wave of change for the better can honestly happen on a large, global scale. To begin with, I rarely thought of "the world", as often I'm too caught up with my own life, my friends and my family. I remember 9/11 though, and the 2004 Tsunami - when those happened, I did think about the world, but about how it had turned for the worse and how it was never going to be the same again. This time, I think about what's happened - about Obama's campaign that has become more than that really, more than a campaign for the presidency, but also a movement that has drawn together people not only from America but from all over the world, and I can't help but believe that change for the better is going to come.
I believe the time has finally come for our generation to really make things happen. I just hope we all - not just Obama, but the people who voted for him and who believed in his movement - will be able to make do with our promise of change.
I don't think you need to be an American to appreciate Obama's journey into the presidency and his promise of change. The day he won the election, I honestly felt a renewed sense of hope in the world. I know that sounds cliche and all, but it was honestly the first time I had ever felt that. I was always under the impression that the world was a pretty messed up place, and that the most a person can do in these crazy times is to live his life in the best way he can and make his small little spot in the world better in the process. I never believed though that anything would happen, that anyone would be able to convince me that a wave of change for the better can honestly happen on a large, global scale. To begin with, I rarely thought of "the world", as often I'm too caught up with my own life, my friends and my family. I remember 9/11 though, and the 2004 Tsunami - when those happened, I did think about the world, but about how it had turned for the worse and how it was never going to be the same again. This time, I think about what's happened - about Obama's campaign that has become more than that really, more than a campaign for the presidency, but also a movement that has drawn together people not only from America but from all over the world, and I can't help but believe that change for the better is going to come.
I believe the time has finally come for our generation to really make things happen. I just hope we all - not just Obama, but the people who voted for him and who believed in his movement - will be able to make do with our promise of change.
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2 comments:
Daene, I'm republican btw. LOL. when are we seeing each other?
Angel! Are you really? I would never have taken you as a Republican. Very interesting side of you :) When are you coming back to the Philippines? Let's go out!
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