New Reality

I think our country is settling into the reality that we are going to have an African American President. Being a white woman (and growing up as a privileged white kid) I have no idea what it means as a black person and how it will effect that reality. I can see the excitement in the faces of young people of color and it is thrilling. I can see excitement in most people's faces, especially here in the northwest, and that makes me thrilled and proud. Most of us have been told all our lives that, "You can do anything you want to. You can be anything you want to be. Even President of the United States." I think and have heard from prominent African American people that while they have heard that all their lives there was always an, "Yeah, right." in the back of their mind. I pray that voice is fleeting if not gone now. This is an equality that is so important. Not just for African Americans but for all of us......AMERICAN AMERICANS. No matter what you think, this is not about you, it is about us, all of us. Together we are stronger, we have more resources and more hands to help. We need to rebuild from the inside. Literally from our insides. We have become sad and passive as a nation. This new hope has given me a burst of energy as an individual and an American. As we feel stronger we can work together to build our nation. We need to take care of one another. As we become stronger as a nation we can take care of other nations. America has always been a beacon of light to other nations. Our light was diminished but did not go out. We are now given the opportunity to work together and become stronger. Stronger as families, communities, cities, states and as a nation. I love that Barack Obama knows he is faced with a huge challenge and responsibility. He is facing that as a man, an American man. May we all learn to treat each other as Americans and not to tolerate one another but celebrate each other. This is our time to shine and show the world that, "YES WE CAN." And that we will......