I don't believe a lot of the people in this world can understand the enormity and the immensity of the task he has achieved. Barack Obama was born at a time when in certain parts of USA, blacks weren't allowed to vote and they would have been killed if they were to suggest anything close. In his mid twenties, Barack was leading a life of a confused young man who had little idea where the world was taking him. In 2000, he was rejected from entering the Democratic National Convention speech of Al Gore. In 2008 he is heading the same convention and Al Gore campaigned for him. He defeated John McCain in the elections who has been in continuous public service for US since before Barack Obama was even born. Millions of people around the world are pinning their hopes on him and billions more are looking at him are looking at him to take US and the world out of this financial crisis.
How did he do it?
I have spent a generous amount of my free time following Obama's life and career over the Internet for much more than a year now and am more than just inspired - I am in awe. If there is anything in life that I would want to pick up from him it would be
- A sense of deep solace that nothing in this world is impossible to achieve. If whites can forget all black hate to vote for a black man, if Virginia can vote for a Black man after having been the capital of US African slavery then anything in this world is possible. This alone is a most comforting thought to me. Often this brings me back to my life at Penn State in early 2006 when I was having dinner with a group of Americans and a fellow Indian student when she commented that USA is not ready to vote a black president and nobody on the table made as much as a flutter - they all believed her :-)
- Careful planning and an indomitable spirit can overcome the most difficult of challenges. The Obama who has inspired millions by his soaring rhetoric used to stammer till 2000. By relentless speaking publicly in Sunday Churches (and he reported lured some members to sleep), he is where he is now and delivered the South Carolina victory speech which to me is the best rhetoric till date.
- Humility, a little love and showing dreams can bring down the toughest within us to bring people together. It is nothing but pure magic to think the way he has run his campaign and showered generous humility throughout. Even his fiercest opponents (McCain, Hillary, Palin) are all showing respect and sheer awe now that the election result is out.
This one is for Barack Obama !
