The Obama Effect: Fill in the Blank

This morning on my way to my first class I made sure to randomly greet strangers with the phrase: Happy Barack Obama Day! I noticed different reactions every time I said it. Some laughed, others gave me the same greeting back, another seemed to ignore me all together. The part that urked me to say the least is the very last greeting I gave.

I was walking through a narrow hallway as middle aged woman was walking towards my direction. As we crossed paths I said: Happy Barack Obama Day! Her response was unlike any I had heard that day.

She said: Pfft . . . How long will he last?

I said: Eight years of course.

Her next response: Yah Right.

This urked me to say the least and I went to class a little disturbed. If Obama has taught us anything it should be that the race of somebody is not important, so I will not mention the race of this woman. However, both her responses left a sour taste in my mouth.

I do not know if Obama will bring true change to a free world that seems to be on the edge of peril but I hope he does. The woman in the hallway did not believe in Obama. She may have hoped that Obama will make a difference in some portion of her soul but she did not believe it enough to get excited about it.

That right there is the problem. People are lazy and scared. They don't want to believe in change because they are afraid of what this chnage may bring. Change is always happening, even as I add words to the screen and even as you read them. However, when I asked many people during the election: What will Obama change? I was never really given a straight answer. What do we need to change?

I will tell you . . .

We, as a continent (North America) need to change our lives. We need to change our priorities. We need to change what's cool and what's not cool. Barack Obama has made politics very cool for a lot of people who never would have paid attention before. This trend must continue, not just in politics but in all aspects of life.

Don't be that pessimistic woman in the hallway. Claim the world in the name of change and begin as soon as possible. The best way to change is to learn new things.

I encourage all people to learn. Read. Write. Claim victory on knowledge.

Learning to love learning is a love I learned to love.