Fierte

I was huddled around the small television in our country director's house with about a dozen other volunteers, waiting for Obama to step out to address the crowd in Chicago, after a night of no sleep, too many beers and a lot of laughter - For years now, I have tried to stay apathetic towards politics, hiding firm behind my mantra that no one man can really change anything. Watching Obama's victory speech, I couldn't help myself from tearing up and hoped and prayed to all that I hold dear that I am wrong. When bush was 'elected' I was a senior in high school, what to me seems like a lifetime ago, and these past 8 years have only turned me sour on the political process that I hear my parents and (maybe especially) my grandparents feel so proudly about.

But seeing Obama give that speech, hearing his strong, tersely metered diction, I actually found hope. It may sound silly, but emotions that I never knew existed welled up inside of me. I was ebullient from the shimmering hope of the next 4 years yet infinitely sad at the same moment -- saddened for all the ways that people are going to try and break Barack Obama, tear him down, destroy not only him, but what he stands for in the eyes of so many people in the US and (again, maybe especially) all those others around the world. Will they succeed? My guess is probably. Will Barack Obama's true colors be many dim shades grayer than we all hope? I say no, but he is only a man. Will he ever rise any higher than that 10ft platform he delivered his victory speech upon to the millions of us who felt the falling of tears and scratching at the backs of our throats?

All I can say is that, for me, gone is the oily slickness I feel when I think of my country, gone are the shadows of nepotism and hypocrisy I've always assumed were prerequisites within the government. Us sitting on the floor, lids glued open against impossible fatigue, Obama standing there 10 shades darker than I'll ever tan, and a million times brighter than I'll ever shine, I watched the man who returned my faith in my home take the weight of the world upon his shoulders and for the first time in my life I felt myself able to say that I am truly proud to be an American.