America's Cities

"Throughout our history, it's been our cities that have helped tell the American story.

It was Boston that rose up against an Empire,

and Philadelphia where liberty first rung out;

it was St. Louis that opened a gateway west,

and Houston that launched us to the stars;

it was the Motor City that built the middle class;

Miami that built a bridge to the Americas;

and New York that showed the world one clear September morning

that America stands together in times of trial.

That's the proud tradition our cities uphold.

That's the story our cities have helped write."

-Barack Obama

June 21, 2008

Miami, FL

I probably should've saved this for the 4th, but it was the quote on my daily desk calendar today and I just couldn't resist. Plus, aren't we all already in the spirit of the 4th, anyway?

Happy Independence Day, everyone.

All that I ask is for you all to stay safe.

Oh, and please, for the love of all that is holy, enjoy a few beers on my behalf. ;)

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Disgusted.

Pardon me while I dust off the corner of my blog labeled "politics." Because wow... it sure has been a while, huh?

But it's time.

I have been watching in shock... disgust... HORROR even...over the last several days, as the media and the citizens of this country talk about the speech that President Obama will deliver to school children today. I don't even understand how it has escalated to this level.

Parents pulling their children out of school?
Schools refusing to air the speech because they don't want to upset anybody?
Protesters outside of the high school from which Obama will deliver the speech?

SERIOUSLY, my fellow Americans? SERIOUSLY?!

The White House, in order to try to calm the hysteria over this, has released the full text of the President's speech. And it, quite frankly, is wonderful. Beautiful. Inspiring. A message every child should hear.

Yet so many of them won't.

For whatever reason, ever since Obama took office, Republicans have been totally on his ass. Not just in the traditional "the opposite party is in power and we have to knock them for it" sense, but in the "we need to DESTROY this man" sense. I don't even know how the guy manages to breathe.

Some people who disagree with his policies are taking everything he does, everything he says, and blowing it completely out of proportion. They call him a racist. They call him a socialist, or even a communist. They call him a muslim (as if that's supposed to be something negative). It's sick. But then I remember... these are the same people who called liberals "unamerican" and "traitorous" when we had the audacity to voice disagreement with George Bush. In other words, they're into exaggeration and namecalling.

And you know what? That's fine. Every American has the right to disagree with his policies. That's fine. It's the way it should be. It's America.

But in this case, they've (once again) politicized an issue that's not even political. It's not about politics. Read the speech. Tell me what parent would disagree with those messages. Who?

He is the President of the United States. Regardless of whether you agree with him, he has reached the highest-ranked position in this country. He is one of the most powerful people in the world. Should children not strive to be like him? Should he not serve as a role model?

The youth in this country need a fire to be lit under their asses. These are the children who will grow into the adults who will lead this country someday. This country. This totally fucked up country.

And the President of the United States wants to speak to them. So, my god! LET HIM.

I think the saddest part in all of this is that if it were announced that some celebrity--oh, I don't know, let's use Miley Cyrus for an example--wanted to deliver an inspiring message to America's school children, people probably wouldn't have batted an eye.

And she's practically a stripper.

Yet people are up in arms about the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES talking to school children about never giving up on their dreams and striving for greatness. Oh, the horror.

To take it one step further... I happen to believe that even if President Obama's message to the children was political, the children should still watch it. What is the harm in presenting both sides of an issue to children? Should we really be sheltering them from messages just because we don't agree with them? I sure as hell don't think so. I actually think it would foster educational and thought-provoking conversations between children and their parents. But you see, parents are lazy. God forbid they actually have to TALK to their children about important issues. God forbid should you have to turn your TV off and have an actual conversation at the dinner table.

"No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in... So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?" (excerpts from Obama's speech)

I believe this is a good message for kids. Sure, they should hear things like this primarily from their parents, their teachers, and their peers. But maybe they don't really hear it. Or maybe they don't have people around them to inspire them in this way. Maybe 10, 20, 30 years from now, there will be just one child who remembers the day back in 2009 when he or she sat in school and listened to President Obama, and it changed his or her life. Is that not worth it?

We should do everything we can to help encourage and promote the opportunities that lay before these children. They have the potential to grow up and change the world.

I think we need that.

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A Thousand Words

Yesterday, my internet buddy, LJK-C, posted a link to a photo collection by the Boston Globe that chronicles President Obama's first 167 days in office. Beautiful, poignant photos that I pored over, drinking in every detail--in one image, I even noticed my favorite campaign photo framed on the President's desk. *LOVE*

When I look through these photos, I feel so much pride.

But this post isn't about that. Well, it's not about my pride.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It's about his.

(I'm referring to the little guy.)

I first saw this photo a few months back, on some random news site or blog, shortly after it was taken. I saw it again while watching NBC's "Inside the Obama White House" special with Brian Williams.

While perusing this photo collection, I came across it for a third time. And I'll tell you... its power isn't lost on me. Every time I see this photo, I am deeply affected by it.

If you don't know the story behind the image... This little boy is the son of a White House staff member. He was at the White House for a visit, and had the chance to meet the President of the United States. As he stood, looking at Obama, he asked the one thing he really wanted to know.

He had recently had his hair cut, and he wanted to know if the President's hair felt like his own. And President Obama, in a way that I think truly demonstrates his character, bent over to let the little guy feel it for himself.

Pardon me while I go grab a tissue.

When I look at this photo, and I read the story, it's about so much more than the haircut.

That little boy--a black little boy--was likely sizing himself up against the President. And for the first time ever in our country's history, he was able to conclude: He looks like me. The color of his skin, and even the texture of his hair.

When I think about how that 4-year-old boy represents thousands and thousands of children who can now draw the same comparisons--it touches my heart.

For Obama, bending over and letting the boy feel the top of his head was a simple gesture. For the little boy, it was so much more than that. As a small child, he may not fully understand, but I think that some day, he will.

And seriously, now... what a beautiful moment to have caught on film.

That's right; I love it so much, I wanted you to see it twice. ;)

Oh, and can I just say... to be the Obama White House photographer? DREAM JOB. You know, if I had the talent.

Which I don't.

Instead, I'll live vicariously through Mr. Souza's photographs...

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Mr. President

Today is an awesome day.


I have never experienced an inauguration the way it is meant to be experienced. I was only 10 years old when Bill Clinton was sworn into office, and although I have very clear memories of watching it (I was home from school and spending the day at my grandma's), I was too young to understand the magnitude of it.

And in January 2001, when George W. Bush was inaugurated, I was still disgusted over the controversial results of the election. As wrong as it may be, I just didn't care.

Today, I was moved to tears (for the first, but not the last time), not by Obama walking out of the tunnel, but instead by a shot of the crowd cheering wildly and waving all of their flags.

I love America.

And today, I watched as the man that I believe in--Barack Hussein Obama--was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. I have been rooting for him, supporting him, and getting to know him for two years. And on Election Night, our country spoke out in his favor. And finally, now, it is official. If I hadn't just watched it with my own eyes, I may not even believe it. In a lot of ways, it seems surreal.

Now begins the true test. To see what President Obama can do for this country. He is definitely receiving the country in worse shape than it has been in a long time, and so I believe my expectations of him are realistic. I do not expect him to be able to work miracles, but I still allow myself to hope that he can. Only time will tell.

For today, I want him to enjoy the celebration in his honor. Just like every other president before him, he deserves it. Tomorrow morning, it's time for work. Hopefully a long eight years of work.

Congratulations, Mr. President.

I couldn't end this post without giving a little love to the Obama girls. Look how cute they are in their little outfits:

I have a special soft spot for Sasha, since she always seems to melt me in some way or another. Here she is, giving her dad a thumbs up. Adorable.

I think we are in for a great treat, having this family in the White House. I think his wife and children make President Obama a better man, and I think they will make him a better president. The decisions he makes will directly affect the future of those little girls. He has made it pretty clear that much of his focus is on improving this country for the sake of his daughters, and the rest of us certainly benefit from that.

I can't wait to see what can be done.

(All photos in this post from Getty Images)

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Yes we can

Obama did it. Or rather, we did it. We won.

I didn't have to go through another disappointing election loss.

Thank you, America.

Now I'm looking forward to seeing what will come. Unfortunately, I think we have a really long way to go, and I feel like Obama is at a huge disadvantage from the get-go. But I have faith that things can change.

What an historic evening it was. I was elated when the election was called for Obama at 11 p.m. I managed to stay awake long enough to hear McCain's speech (which I thought was very nice, actually), but konked out afterward and woke up to see Obama and his family exiting the stage. Whoops. Missed the speech. But I've caught up on most of it today, and it was typical Obama--inspiring. Today is a new day.

And January 20 will be here soon. Let's do this.

Yes we can.

As for us, we spent election night holed up in our house with our sweet little dog. We donned our Obama gear, made a BBQ chicken pizza, and I baked a loaf of banana bread. We relaxed on the couch, watched a few political SNL skits on the computer, and waited for results to come in.


Today, I am in better spirits. The last few days have been really nothing but despair, but today was better. I only cried once (so far). I still have my moments, of course, and I'm sure there will be many bad days to come. But today? I just felt like I was able to focus more on the joy than on the sorrow. Today, it didn't physically hurt to smile.

My mom was crying about Tessa the other night and mentioned how it almost feels like it's not worth it to have pets because you run the risk of so much pain. My dad said something similar, about how he doesn't want any more dogs because you almost always outlive them, which is always sad. My response (also through tears) was that even though we're going through this, I do not regret it. I do not regret Tess.

If you don't experience the pain, it means you haven't experienced the joy, either.

And there is nothing like the joy.

Tessa is scheduled for surgery on Friday. They are going to remove at least one of her swollen lymph nodes to send it off for pathology. After this, we'll know more about her cancer. What type of lymphoma, what stage its in, how aggressive it is, etc. The doctors will be able to give us a more accurate prognosis and options for treatment. We'll just have to see where we go from there.

For now, we're just focusing on one step at a time, and right now that step is the surgery. We have to drop her off before work in the morning, and then, barring any complications, we can pick her up after work. I'm so glad she doesn't have to spend the night. It'll be traumatic enough for her, I'm sure. The plan for the weekend is to pretty much hibernate in the house and help her heal.

So... Can we get through this?

Yes we can.

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Change

My, how things change.

I've been waiting for and looking forward to this day for more than a year. Up until yesterday, Michael and I were totally excited about making a huge Election Day meal, cracking open some wine or beer, and then, if things went as planned, maybe even popping open some champagne. All while watching non-stop election coverage, of course. And I was so looking forward to going into that booth and pressing that lever down. So excited to vote for change.

Now? Well, now, I'm having trouble giving a shit about any of it.

Still, I dragged my sorry ass into my polling place this morning. Went into the booth, voted for Barack Obama (and other local politicians), came out, proceeded to go to my car, and then I cried all the way to work. And three more times since.

In just a week's time, I've gone from happy, laughing Heather to someone who can't wait for each day to be over so she can go to sleep. Sleep is the only time I'm not sad.

This is not the kind of change I was looking for.

Have I mentioned how much this sucks?

It sounds so overly dramatic, but when I stop and think about it, I really don't know how I'm going to get through this.

There's nothing anyone can do. There's nothing anyone can say.

But of course, it means a lot to hear from people and know that they care. To know that people understand.

Unfortunately, it just doesn't make it suck any less. Doesn't make it any less painful.

I feel sorry for everybody around me. I know I'm probably not going to be fun to be around for a while. Most likely a long while.

I just hope that people understand that this is just a really tough time. I don't mean to be this much of a downer; it's just that I can't help it.

And the worst part is knowing that this is just the beginning of what is surely going to be a downward spiral. I can't see that this is going to get any better any time soon. It's weird looking to the future and feeling like there is nothing to look forward to.

Again, I worry that I sound way too dramatic about all of this. But I'm in a black hole and am really not sure how to crawl out.

For now, I'm just going to work hard to get through each day. To get home and be where I feel like I need to be right now. And to at least try to enjoy some things.

I'm still going to watch the election coverage tonight, and I'm still going to root for my man, Obama. I just wish it was going to be with the same gusto it would have been before.

This is a rough patch. People deal with this stuff all the time. Worse things. Things with parents, children, siblings, friends. I'm aware of that. The story of life, I suppose. I just wasn't expecting it to be the story of my life. But no one ever does.

For my sanity, and to truly spend as much time with her as possible, I'm going to start driving home for all of my lunch breaks. Thankfully, we don't live very far from where I work, so it's a pretty good chunk of time to be with Tess. I think breaking up the day like that will help me get through each day at work.

So today was day 1. Day 1 of trying to live a semi-normal life.

I went home for lunch. It's beautiful outside today. And Tessa did what she always does when it's warm and sunny out.

She flopped for belly rubs before she even made it all the way onto the grass.

And I, of course, let her enjoy them for as long as she wanted. Because of winter on the horizon, I know that these days are truly numbered.

As if Tess wasn't already one of the most photographed dogs on the planet. Now, I predict it will be even worse. Right now, while she is still healthy and acting like herself, I'm feeling like we need to document all of it. All of the little quirks and adorable things that she does that we have taken for granted because we always think we'll get to see her do them over and over and over again.

After her belly rubs, we sat on the porch and watched neighbors pass by. Watched a contractor load equipment and tools back into his van. Tessa growled her low, rumbly growl that always makes us smile.

When the contractor first came around the corner of the neighbor's house, Tessa barked at him. I laughed, but apologized to the guy. He smiled and said, "Oh, it's OK. She did startle me a little. I wasn't expecting trouble today." I laughed and said, "Oh, she's trouble alright."

Tough girl. All bark and no bite. The guy paused when he got to her and leaned down to pet her. She immediately turned to mush. Like she does with just about anyone who pays her any attention.

Just counting down the hours until I can go home again.

In the meantime, go Obama, go! (Had to get that in there.)

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Best buds

Saw Barack Obama at the mall tonight. He wasn't as tall as I thought he would be. Hmph. I told him he's the man.

John McCain was on the other side of the counter and there was no one getting their pics taken with him. Poor guy.

:)

Less than two weeks! Come on, America!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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You're killing me, Obama

Just do it already.

The suspense is too much to handle!

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