Something's Happening Here

Well, actually, pretty much nothing was happening "here" for the past week or so except some sitting in the sun enjoying a little bit of vacation as summer came too quickly to an end. But boy o boy was there a lot happening out "there." 

Let's start with the wonderful: 

The youngest American to ever win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling is the son of illegal immigrants. "[Henry] Cejudo was 4 when he last saw his dad. His mom raised six kids and often struggled to make ends meet. The family moved more times than anyone remembers," according to the official USOC website. With an American flag wrapped around him, he cried after he won his gold medal match. All over the U.S., people cried with him. He told interviewer Tommy Hines: 

"I'm living the American dream right now. "The United States is the land of opportunity. It's the best country in the world, and I'm just glad to represent it.

Hopefully, Henry's story will inspire us to be the nation he believes we are, the one that invites the world to send us their tired and poor, their huddled masses and all who yearn for freedom --- not just the ones with PhDs in engineering.

And, speaking of becoming who we are, here's something wacky: 

I know that choice-denying, oil-drilling, scandal-ridden, wedge-driving, small-town (never-even-been-out-of-the-U.S.-until-she-got-elected-governor) living, Sarah Palin is crazy scary --- but did anybody else grin at the news that a woman on the ticket is suddenly seen as THE ticket to getting elected in this country. Ha! God help us if THIS woman ever makes it to the White House --- but, STILL! You gotta love it.

The truth is, I needed something to cheer me up after the Saddleback non-debate debate during which their candidate looked like a trained puppy --- who gave all the Right answers, tail wagging excitedly, hoping for a treat --- I'm surprised he didn't leave a puddle right there on the floor --- while my candidate nodded and winked to the Radical Right --- and then the Left --- and then the Right --- and then the Left. It was like watching Pong: Boring.

Which brings us to weird:

My candidate did a little better on his big night than he did on Rick Warren's home court but, frankly, I think all the joyful tears that were shed at Invesco Field and around the nation on the last night of the DNC convention had little to do with anything he said. Let's be honest, it was mediocre. For starters, we've heard that long wish list before from the do-nothing-even-when-you-hand-us-a-majority Democrats over the past decade. I was hoping and expecting something more that night. Pushed to define the "change" he's promising, he said:

"Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it."

Seriously?? The change he's asking me to believe in has to do with the tax code?? He said some other stuff, too, but nothing anybody will remember a century or a month from now. The truth is, it's kind of bugging me how, the closer we get to November, the more cautious he seems to get. Careful answers to Rick Warren (did he REALLY say that civil rights - at least for gays and lesbians - ought to be a STATE issue?!?). A strategic but utterly uninspired VP pick. A canned DNC speech to close out the convention. Heck, I thought Professor Gore had more interesting things to say that night -- even without his power point slides.

And here we are, right back to wonderful, again:

The really remarkable thing is that, at this point in our common history, Barack Obama didn't need to say anything inspiring or memorable on that Thursday night in Denver. All he needed to do was show up, like he did, 45 years to the day after Martin invited us to dream with him. I cried. You cried. We all cried. Why? Because under those bright lights that night we could see ourselves. And, damn, if we don't look good. We look, in fact, a little like the people Henry Cejudo thinks we are.

In the end, that Thursday night at Invesco Field wasn't the big night for Senator Obama I hoped and thought it might be. But it WAS a big night for us. And when he said, "this is about YOU," even Barack seemed to understand that.

Something's happening in these United States, alright: the weird, the wacky, and the wonderful.

Hallelujah.

Comments

[PS]

Although I agree with many of Obama's goals, I was not impressed by his long list of "I will ___" Oh yeah? How? All by your self? Give me a break. If he had stated these things as goals to work for with the help of others, I would have been more impressed.

BTW, the Republicans are saying, Well what has he done anyway? They may have a point.

That said, I want a president who can inspire and lead, and I don't think the other side has that. And I think I'd say that even if I leaned to the right.

[Rachel]

I was amazed, awe-struck, inspired...but I missed half his speech. I couldn't even really understand why I couldn't pay attention, his speech was everything people were saying it needed to be--specific, hard-hitting, etc. I was just...a bit bored.

Especially after seeing Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, and--in particlar--*Beau* Biden's speeches. Michelle's story about the night Barack drove her and their new daughter home made me cry. Bill Clinton's rallying cry, I felt, could be heard throughout the country--even moreso than Hillary's. And Beau Biden's introduction of his dad had me in tears at least twice. "Be there for my dad..." was just too much for me.

With all that history behind Barack Obama, and those brilliant, inspired people, and with all the work he's already put into this thing...I think I'd believe him if he said we were going to move the moon.

Frankly, I just want to feel even a miniscule amount of what Henry Cejudo felt about this country. I want to be a part of something bigger. That's what Obama offers, it's what he's capitalized on since the start. I think it all came together last week better than any of us could have imagined. I don't think there's anything that he could've said that would've been better.

KELLY'S RESPONSE:

I think a lot of people are longing to be "a part of something bigger." In fact, I don't get why churches so often communicate "come here and we can fix your problems!" to their neighbors (if they're communicating with their neighbors at all, I mean). Our neighbors have problems, sure. But they also want their lives to MATTER. We can help them live that kind of life. That's a message we ought to be sharing.

[Elaine]

Well, if you are worried that Obama didn't impress people in the States, don't. He impressed people in Canada. During our local CBC morning radio show, a survey was conducted that asked people if they are following the US election scene or the Canadian one. More are interested in the US scene. In fact some couldn't even remember who is running for Prime Minister of Canada and what party they represent.
If you watch Canadian television you'll probably hear more good things about your candidates than you hear from US stations.I personally don't get it. Why would we throw away our chances of ever having constructive change in our own country? It deeply concerns me that we are these timid little Canadians who don't use our public VOICES for the common good!

KELLY'S RESPONSE:

Amen to that!

And thanks for giving us a different perspective --- it's always helpful to have a friend hold up a mirror.