Good morning. Feeling the morning after the day before effects, I know
why we
have poets. Only they can summon up the right words to sum up what happened
yesterday on
the Mall. If I had to come up with something, "awe" would be my only true
word, the
truest of words. Awe for the arrival of a crowning day I never dared dream I
would live
to see, a moment for me that itself was far more important, more imbued with
meaning, than
ceremonies, speeches, parades, and celebrating balls. Awe for the now first
extended
family's cheek to jowl diversity, making it look like it stepped out of the
pages of
America's true multi-cultural experience, truly representing the textures,
colors, sounds,
feels, and flavors of this country like have none of the past overwhelmingly
white
Protestant ruling political families. Awe for we as a nation, a great and
unique nation
for which we each should be both grateful and proud. Awe less for change than
for a
natural march, not always steady, in an evolutionary process moved by a
profound desire, a
pledge, to form a more perfect union; awe for a natural continuation of the
American dream
toward its hoped-for goal of equality for all that Jefferson so eloquently
penned 233
years ago. I wasn't there, at the Mall, among the exuberant flag-waving,
multi-faced
throng. I knew what was coming. I didn't know what was coming. Until Barak
Obama was
sworn in as President Obama, until he said "I do," I found to my surprise that
it was only
then that I fully absorbed the overwhelming emotional force of the moment. My
chest
tightened ,my breathing shallowed, and tears rolled down my cheeks. I just
sat there
saying to myself, shouting to myself, arms uplifted, "It's real. Dammit, it's
really
real!"
And in the warm and haloed afterglow, I went back to a snapshot of a
conversation
I had with a struggling first year, African-American student last spring
semester.
"Jerome (not his real name), you're disrespecting yourself! You're
better than
this! You can become anyone you want to be if you put your heart to it."
"I'm no good at music. And, I can't play sports."
"What the hell does that have to do with it? I said anyone. You're
prejudiced
against yourself. You think those are your only choices? They aren't. Ever
hear of
Colin Powell, Clarence Thomas? I bet Justice Thomas can't carry a tune or
throw a ball!
You're listening to the wrong voices. Don't you understand? You're here to
get something
no one can take away from you once you get it: knowledge, skill, self-respect,
self-confidence, faith in yourself. But, you've got to get it to get it. You
have to say
all this to yourself and believe it and live it. Otherwise, you won't get it."
His retort hit me. "You say I can become anyone I want to be. You
really think
so? My momma says the same thing. Everyone says that. And, I want to. But,
out there?
Out there 'they' won't really let me, won't let most all of us."
I'm thinking now of both President Obama, his multi-cultural,
multi-lingual,
multi-religious clan--which includes a rabbi--and Jerome. Now, maybe Jerome
also was
awed. May he'll be inspired to draw on the power of that awe, listen less to
the dark,
negative voices, and won't let those 'they" get in his way. As teachers, as
teachers of
the heart and soul, as well as the mind, it's our mission to help him to see
the way to
break down his barriers, to plow through them, and to build bridges to his
unique
potential.
Damn, I love this country! We are a great nation. Yesterday, we were
especially
so. To thee I sing--just not as stirring and inspiring as Aretha.
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis Schmier http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Department of History
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
(229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__/\ \/\
/ \/ \_ \/ / \/
/\/
\ /\
//\/\/ /\
\__/__/_/\_\ \_/__\
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" -
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