A little faith in Obama

I stopped believing in the tooth fairy in third grade. I learned about Santa Claus in fourth. I learned to do my own laundry in fifth grade and I realized prince charming wasn’t coming along at age twenty-five.

I also voted for Barack Obama. I loved what he stood for: bringing hope and change to America. Never once did I think he was God or that he had super powers. I thought he was a cool guy running for a really intense position, but he believed in the same sort of things I did. He had great ideas for change, the kind of ideas I couldn’t think up if I hung out with Harvard graduates everyday.

I still like Obama. Sure, not all the promises have been fulfilled, but people who believe in the Bible have been waiting for thousands of years for their promises to be fulfilled. Many wait till death to reach heaven. That’s a lot of faith in something or someone you can’t see in person. But we can see Obama. We read about or hear about the wars, economic failings, and health care policies he’s dealing with daily. Why can’t we put a little bit of faith in our own guy? He’s one of us, after all. He’s an American. He puts himself in the public eye and gets bashed by bloggers and commentators every day. Personally, I know I could never do it. I take it personally when people look at me with a blank expression. I assume they hate me. I like Obama and you know, I think if we were all a little more positive (including myself), maybe we could get along a little better. Because right now, it really sucks to be a voting American.

Life...as a party

I had an interesting conversation with my father today. He's a very wise man. He's lived a lot. He's dealt with a lot of different people. I used to think his advice wasn't that good. I figured I was a little smarter than he was since I'd studied at Oxford. (Ha! Funny, right?) But recently, I've realized how smart he really is. He gets me thinking about things. And although he and I don't always agree on politics or the world around us, we can have a good conversation and talk about things that matter.

It'd be nice if in America there was a middle ground like the one my dad and I have found. I wish we could live in an America without political parties. I wish we could all live in harmony without imposing our beliefs on those around us. If only America could be more like Eugene. It's a community that allows people to live the way they want without pointing fingers. Jaywalk as long as you do it responsibly. Loiter in public places as long as you don't make it unsafe for passersby. I like the idea of everyone just being nice.

I once had a friend in high school (his name was Nic) who told me a world without war and violence would be boring. You see, I wanted peace and harmony. But Nic said that wasn't possible. But why not? Wouldn't it be nice to live in a place where people said hello and really meant it? Or maybe it wouldn't. I've been known to create my own drama. Maybe we're not supposed to all get along. I mean, we grow from our difficulties, if life was easy, maybe the world would be dull. Hmm... I guess I don't know the answer.