Living in the Future, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise

January 17, 2009 Martha Thomases 14 Comments

Is it Tuesday yet?

The week ahead of us will be an historic one. It’s the first African-American president. It’s the first time since 1977 that we’ve had such young children in the White House.

And it’s the first time we can be sure George W. Bush won’t be President any longer. Even better, it’s the first time Dick Cheney won’t be Vice-President.

It’s going to be a great, come-and-get-it day. You can feel it when you talk to people. According to the evening news, polls show that even people who didn’t vote for him, who disagree with him about issues, think Obama is competent and capable. When there is fighting in the Middle East, the pundits and reporters don’t go to the White House for comment. They go to Blair House.

These same people seem to expect the tone in Washington (and, if we’re lucky, the rest of the country) to change. Obama doesn’t impugn the patriotism of people with whom he disagrees. Instead, he listens to opposing opinions and considers them before he makes a decision. I would imagine that sometimes, he actually changes his point of view. He’s submitted a bail-out proposal with which many people have problems. Instead of telling them, “My way or the highway,” he said (and my apologies that I don’t have an exact quote) that he wants to see other ideas.

Barack Obama won the Presidency by running a different kind of campaign. It ran from the bottom up. Every person who participated in the race was empowered to host a house party, e-mail friends and families, phone bank and travel. Not only did the campaign rely on the usual volunteer activities (such as stuffing envelopes and soliciting donations) but volunteers also contributed ideas, smarts, and experience.

Lots and lots of comic book stories promise, “This is the day that everything changes!” Movie trailers scream, “Nothing will ever be the same again!” There is the unspoken threat that, if you miss out, you’ll never know what’s really happening.

I have another perspective on this. Every single day is the day that everything changes. This includes those crummy days when you feel so rotten that don’t go into work, don’t get out of your pajamas, and maybe don’t even get out of bed. (This also includes those truly fabulous days when you don’t go into work, and don’t get out of bed and don’t wear any pajamas. However, you probably don’t need to be persuaded to enjoy those.)

Every single day, babies are born who will grow up to change the world. Every day, people day whose loss will affect us all.

Your life changes, too. Maybe you don’t know it, but you might meet the person who will hold your hand on your deathbed. You might have the idea that will create a new industry and provide jobs for a zillion people (me, too, please). If nothing else, you’ll breathe another day’s air, watch another day’s television, shed another day’s skin, and all of these things will shape your point of view. You will be more uniquely you.

To change the direction of our country and our planet, we all need to pitch in and work for the Obama administration in the same way we did on the Obama campaign. This means calling him on it when he does something we don’t like (Rick Warren) or appears to be backing off a campaign promise (Gitmo). It means we might have to sacrifice something that benefits us personally, but is in the best interests of the country as a whole (like paying higher taxes).

We can start now. Monday has been designated as a National Day of Service, but the event starts this weekend. Find an activity near you that sounds like fun, and join in.

I, myself, plan to give blood. Not only is this a good thing to do, and I’m donating something that money can’t buy, but afterwards, there will be cookies and juice!
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Media Goddess Martha Thomases is indulging her inner nursery school student.