The Will of Change is Wakening in You and I
I hope from today on we can stay optimistic- and keep saying yes we can
I hope our new president inspires everyone to serve, to give, and to care
Never have I wanted to give more than I do now
Never have I wanted to serve my country more proudly than I do now
When race and gender are stripped away, we are all people
All on the ever shrinking planet earth
And having someone who listens when we are at the most odds is what we need
Having someone who represents not one view but many
Having a leader who can argue both sides of a debate
Having a leader who sets an example for accountability at every level of our lives
Being proud of my country had never been a goal
Now it is a part of my identity and a part of my dream
Change for the better that happens between you and me
We are powerful as the many
We have proven the connection between you or me or Obama is not broken
It is thin and needs strengthening but it is perserved every time we say
Yes we can
Because yes we can is a command that holds power
A command that enables every person with just their one vote to change
The power to change is not just in our new president
The power to change is in our everyday lives
The will to change is what is awakening
The direction is new
The leadership strong and promising, though imperfect and human as you or I
And we can exceed our greatest dreams
Because we are no longer our own worst enemy
We are no longer holding ourselves back
There are those who don't feel like I doI hope someday soon they choose to
This isn't a party politics ploy or an Obama rally
This is real lifeAnd the change that happens is much bigger than our 44th president
He knows that
Do you?
People can realize their own potential for changing
By changing their mind to care
The will to change awakens in each of us as we see opportunities open to us
Opportunities made by us and for us
Goosebumps and tears aside, screaming and crying done
Restless nights of sleep will pass too
When we get down to itIt is time for work
Roll up your sleeves
The will to change is opening her eyes because we can and because we have
-Sophie
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
To Care or Not to Care
The question of this election has been that of movie magnitude. That cathartic and moving feeling of pain and anguish in expectation is something I've only every seen in the theaters. How sad but also how exciting. We pay money to feel that excitement. What is it about that feeling?
I think it awakens a part of people that cares. A part of people that can lay dormant and unconnected from a greater feeling of togetherness. To care. To care but also to take action. As an American I am taught that the American Identity is one of pride, freedom, patriotism, and individuality, but it is evermore clear that people, Americans are all about conforming, not standing out, not standing up, and never caring like we think we do.
Caring about more than myself. Caring about more than my children and their children. To care about other races, to care about the effect of a new president on other countries, and to care about more than my stupid student loans, coffee budgets, and my career future. Not everyone has the privileged and blessed opportunities I have been given. I won't take it for granted. I want others to have more. I want others to be treated the same. I realize the difference and gap in opportunities given. I realize the message sent to all those kids out there: although it would be great to go to college and get a career, the status quo is just not attainable for that tax bracket. Those kids are taught by inferior teachers who lack passion, then they are told the expectations that they need to go to a university to succeed, but they are given little to no help.
How will it look if a president walks onto the stage saying not only does he expect better of everyone, including teachers and students. And then, after he raises expectations, he makes a deal. He makes a deal that he will be there fighting for more opportunities if people just show up. To just show up and care.
I can genuinely say I care more about giving to my country under an Obama presidency. He race and his religion are mute points. His generous character, his ability to listen and debate, and his ability to treat every person with the same care and attention makes him a true leader, not just a president. I would love to follow his example. What a perfectly imperfect man. A man. He is not a god or a prophet. He is a man with dreams and doubts. He is a human who aspired beyond what he was told he could achieve. That isn't the American dream to me, that is a man's dream in world which promotes the American Dream cliche but offers this dream at a price and with preconditions.
Socialism as a threat does not make me shake in my boots. The consideration of others isn't scary. We all need to give to get. Could we make it an American ideal to taking care of others, to serve our country, and to be inspired by a presidential leader who represents the epitome of passion and love for the other man.
To care about how the world sees us, to care about how we are perceived, and to uphold an honorable image is achievable.
This election is about America. Not the "real America" but the idea of America. This idea is moving and morphing. This idea has taken a hard hit, but we can save it. The identity is beyond the president, because it exists in the minds and lives of living people. People are waking up to realize their American Identity has be horns waggled, vandalized, and abused to the fullest extent of the government's power. But instead of relying on McCain to change it all for them, they are giving their trust to a president who gives each person agency in their future. As it should be... but will it be?
I am struck by feeling of complete paralysis, followed by doubt and apocalyptic fears. I save up on chicken broth and saltines for when they will be all we can trade for batteries or other essentials. I feel a tightening in my chest and tears behind my eyes. I can't accept the chance that we have that "maverick" as our dead beat president with his power hungry gold digging girlfriend. They don't represent me, or Americans. I want Obama as my president. I want to care. I don't want these feelings of empathy for others to leave, to be cauterized by searing pain of the injustice of a McCain-Palin presidency. I want to care, but if November 4th comes and goes without my greatest wish coming true, my life's course will change. To recover would seem impossible and to see our country fall further is what I would have to look forward to.
Please, for my night time prayer tonight. Please Obama become the president so I can keep on caring. I want to stay human and feel proud. I don't want to fear and cower. Oh for sure it feels apocalyptic. But more than anything I know it only hurts and it is only scary because I care. To be or not to be, well I hope I still want to be after Nov. 4th, as well as to care.
I think it awakens a part of people that cares. A part of people that can lay dormant and unconnected from a greater feeling of togetherness. To care. To care but also to take action. As an American I am taught that the American Identity is one of pride, freedom, patriotism, and individuality, but it is evermore clear that people, Americans are all about conforming, not standing out, not standing up, and never caring like we think we do.
Caring about more than myself. Caring about more than my children and their children. To care about other races, to care about the effect of a new president on other countries, and to care about more than my stupid student loans, coffee budgets, and my career future. Not everyone has the privileged and blessed opportunities I have been given. I won't take it for granted. I want others to have more. I want others to be treated the same. I realize the difference and gap in opportunities given. I realize the message sent to all those kids out there: although it would be great to go to college and get a career, the status quo is just not attainable for that tax bracket. Those kids are taught by inferior teachers who lack passion, then they are told the expectations that they need to go to a university to succeed, but they are given little to no help.
How will it look if a president walks onto the stage saying not only does he expect better of everyone, including teachers and students. And then, after he raises expectations, he makes a deal. He makes a deal that he will be there fighting for more opportunities if people just show up. To just show up and care.
I can genuinely say I care more about giving to my country under an Obama presidency. He race and his religion are mute points. His generous character, his ability to listen and debate, and his ability to treat every person with the same care and attention makes him a true leader, not just a president. I would love to follow his example. What a perfectly imperfect man. A man. He is not a god or a prophet. He is a man with dreams and doubts. He is a human who aspired beyond what he was told he could achieve. That isn't the American dream to me, that is a man's dream in world which promotes the American Dream cliche but offers this dream at a price and with preconditions.
Socialism as a threat does not make me shake in my boots. The consideration of others isn't scary. We all need to give to get. Could we make it an American ideal to taking care of others, to serve our country, and to be inspired by a presidential leader who represents the epitome of passion and love for the other man.
To care about how the world sees us, to care about how we are perceived, and to uphold an honorable image is achievable.
This election is about America. Not the "real America" but the idea of America. This idea is moving and morphing. This idea has taken a hard hit, but we can save it. The identity is beyond the president, because it exists in the minds and lives of living people. People are waking up to realize their American Identity has be horns waggled, vandalized, and abused to the fullest extent of the government's power. But instead of relying on McCain to change it all for them, they are giving their trust to a president who gives each person agency in their future. As it should be... but will it be?
I am struck by feeling of complete paralysis, followed by doubt and apocalyptic fears. I save up on chicken broth and saltines for when they will be all we can trade for batteries or other essentials. I feel a tightening in my chest and tears behind my eyes. I can't accept the chance that we have that "maverick" as our dead beat president with his power hungry gold digging girlfriend. They don't represent me, or Americans. I want Obama as my president. I want to care. I don't want these feelings of empathy for others to leave, to be cauterized by searing pain of the injustice of a McCain-Palin presidency. I want to care, but if November 4th comes and goes without my greatest wish coming true, my life's course will change. To recover would seem impossible and to see our country fall further is what I would have to look forward to.
Please, for my night time prayer tonight. Please Obama become the president so I can keep on caring. I want to stay human and feel proud. I don't want to fear and cower. Oh for sure it feels apocalyptic. But more than anything I know it only hurts and it is only scary because I care. To be or not to be, well I hope I still want to be after Nov. 4th, as well as to care.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween
The rain woke me. Then I noticed Kris wasn't next to me. He had pulled an all nighter for school again.
It was so dark when I woke up. The rain clouds blocked all light and I felt drowsy. I hopped into my pants, put on my halloween socks and shirt my mom got me. I checked the mirror, fluffed my unmanagable hair, and ran out the door with my bags and sweater in tote.
The water splashed and I could feel the rain through the socks I was wearing with my sandals. It's always during crazy holidays that the same dress rules just don't apply, so I took full advantage to show off my orange and black striped socks with cats not only in print, but also as bobbles that hung from the backs of my ankles.
The wind was blustering on the freeway. Rain slammed into my windshield with force. I drove cautiously around the semi's with their billowing trails of disorienting clouds of moisture and dead fall leaves. I kept my eyes ahead on the tail lights in front of me, and enjoyed the warm car seat, the warm air blowing on my feet, and the warm coffee in my stomach
Why did I feel so cozy and charmed by this otherwise dangerous and dark morning? Because. It is Halloween. It is fall. The autumn rain has come and the wonderful smells have spread through the air, though to the detriment of my allergies. I suffer through it anyway.
The sky was like the darkest night of the year, though I did have one frightening flash of lightning piqcue my spirits and the grays started to glow along the horizon of the stormy morning.
I dress up for her. My mom. I wouldn't care about an otherwise useless holiday, if it weren't her favorite. I have decorations and they are still in the box. As a student, I don't have time to decorate. She does though and she goes all out.
My orange shirt says "Too cute to spook" with a very Bewitched style black kitty riding a broom stick. Today, hopefully, will be all fun and games. A cozy blustering raining day to warm to heart of every genuine Oregonian. Perhaps the most frightening part of this Halloween- the election. More on that later.
It was so dark when I woke up. The rain clouds blocked all light and I felt drowsy. I hopped into my pants, put on my halloween socks and shirt my mom got me. I checked the mirror, fluffed my unmanagable hair, and ran out the door with my bags and sweater in tote.
The water splashed and I could feel the rain through the socks I was wearing with my sandals. It's always during crazy holidays that the same dress rules just don't apply, so I took full advantage to show off my orange and black striped socks with cats not only in print, but also as bobbles that hung from the backs of my ankles.
The wind was blustering on the freeway. Rain slammed into my windshield with force. I drove cautiously around the semi's with their billowing trails of disorienting clouds of moisture and dead fall leaves. I kept my eyes ahead on the tail lights in front of me, and enjoyed the warm car seat, the warm air blowing on my feet, and the warm coffee in my stomach
Why did I feel so cozy and charmed by this otherwise dangerous and dark morning? Because. It is Halloween. It is fall. The autumn rain has come and the wonderful smells have spread through the air, though to the detriment of my allergies. I suffer through it anyway.
The sky was like the darkest night of the year, though I did have one frightening flash of lightning piqcue my spirits and the grays started to glow along the horizon of the stormy morning.
I dress up for her. My mom. I wouldn't care about an otherwise useless holiday, if it weren't her favorite. I have decorations and they are still in the box. As a student, I don't have time to decorate. She does though and she goes all out.
My orange shirt says "Too cute to spook" with a very Bewitched style black kitty riding a broom stick. Today, hopefully, will be all fun and games. A cozy blustering raining day to warm to heart of every genuine Oregonian. Perhaps the most frightening part of this Halloween- the election. More on that later.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
When the Summer Light Dies
It was as if Nature was bored this Fall, because she jumped on the first opportunity to say goodbye to summer and send in gails of rain and wind. The Sun clocked out. The Gray clocked in. The night shift officially started.
What could possibly help the onslaught of depression and UVB ray sensitive migraines? No normal cupboard meds are for Fall. They don't say on the label: take in case of the blahs. Why does gray bring that nagging feeling of doubt and dazing drowsiness? I like the color gray. It is beautiful and dangerous, but it has a mesmerizing characteristic that seems to remind me of a date rape spiked drink. Will I even remember what happened when I wake up in the Spring?
Reading with mugs of warm drinks? Spiked warm drinks. See what I mean about the drugged feeling of winter? We load up on sugar, fat, booze, and sleep. How could we not feel like a bunch of zombies? Not to mention, no sun. Does that make us vampires? Nah.
What could possibly help the onslaught of depression and UVB ray sensitive migraines? No normal cupboard meds are for Fall. They don't say on the label: take in case of the blahs. Why does gray bring that nagging feeling of doubt and dazing drowsiness? I like the color gray. It is beautiful and dangerous, but it has a mesmerizing characteristic that seems to remind me of a date rape spiked drink. Will I even remember what happened when I wake up in the Spring?
Reading with mugs of warm drinks? Spiked warm drinks. See what I mean about the drugged feeling of winter? We load up on sugar, fat, booze, and sleep. How could we not feel like a bunch of zombies? Not to mention, no sun. Does that make us vampires? Nah.
When the Summer Light Dies
It was as if Nature was bored this Fall, because she jumped on the first opportunity to say goodbye to summer and send in gails of rain and wind. The Sun clocked out. The Gray clocked in. The night shift officially started.
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