I watched Barack Obama deliver his acceptance speech on Thursday night. We were eating dinner a little late, as usual, when Obama reminded us that it was the anniversary of Dr King's address at the Lincoln Memorial. How fitting it was that he then quoted the famous address.
To speak of dreams and promises; to speak of always moving ahead, yet not forgetting our personal stories and struggles. Barack Obama is of my generation, yet he exudes the optimism that many in my and the next generation often lack. He's demonstrated a commitment to help other people; to bring to light injustice and help make it right.
I set down my fork as he continued his address, moved by what he said. I repeated my current political mantra, "please" several times. Please, can we just make it happen? Please can people overcome their biases, their hesitation, to recognize that this man offers incredible promise for our nation? For everyone in our nation.
I feel such pride at the thought that we can elect him and change the course of our nation. And I started thinking, what's my American Dream? What does Rose want to do next? Is she doing what she wants to do, and if not, what's holding her back?
What holds any of us back (besides losing our health benefits)? Fear of not being good enough; of not succeeding. But what if we try? What if we take that step away from our comfort zone and start truly pursuing our dreams? Because maybe we are good enough. Chances are, if our ideas and skills are strong, we will succeed. And there's great beauty and satisfaction in reaching our goals, especially when we weren't sure that we could. What's your dream?
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