I was born and experienced my formative years in the 1970s. My school permitted the students to bring home one book for the weekend and, more often than not, I picked the same book. I was inspired and entranced by the cover (I recall it was blue) and content (it spoke of wonderful, colourful far-off places) and it spoke to me of freedom, of hamburgers and of french fries. The first I was too young to understand and the latter two I had never experienced (I didn’t realise they were the same as beefburgers and chips).
The book was about America and I fell in love.
Now, twenty five years later I sat in a room and silently listened to a man speak about the future. More science, less greed, more for the people, less pollution and war. And I must say it gave me a shiver. It was about the creation of wealth, the realisation of equality, the empowerment of the common man and the stark, unforgiving truth of how America lost the heart of the world.
I’m not inspired by my leaders in my country but, for the first time in a very long time, I’m inspired by the leaders of another country. I’d never taken the time to listen to one of his speeches, never taken the time to read his writings and simply never taken the time to appreciate the man for what he was rather than what he represented.
Barack Hussain Obama, 44th President of the United States inspired me today.
I had been invited to a special viewing (via FOX) of the Inauguration by Mark Finlay of The President’s Club and, surrounded by people from all walks of life, I watched in complete silence as the swearing in of the new president began. I didn’t see but a glimpse of departing President Bush and I felt no malice or hatred. I had despised what America had become over the last eight years, the antithesis of freedom in my eyes, but tomorrow is a new day and for the first time in a long time, my eyes are open to the possibilities.
It’s not too much to say that today, tonight, I envy America and it’s people. I want to be inspired, I want to be able to say that I was there, on that day, I saw the change and I was one of the voices raised in support.
You’re very lucky, America, don’t screw it up.
(And if anyone can help me identify what this book was, I’d be interested in hearing. For posterity sake.)