Yesterday will surely go down as a great day in American history...
As I watched last night in anticipation for the final counts... I was overwhelmed by a feeling of hope and of pride.
Pride in being part of a country that up until last night, I thought had been all but lost to complacency... Pride in our humanity as a whole for digging deep within ourselves, and finding the courage to get out there and find our voice as a whole... and to demand a change!
Today the pride and hope was enhanced by a feeling of peace as I looked outside and saw the world covered in a blanket of white.
As I opened my work mail this morning, I noticed a forwarded email from an ex-coworker of mine.
After reading it and being brought to tears once again, I feel the need to share it because of it's sense of purity and honesty that you see so rarely and I thought it very fitting at this most historic of times...
It comes from what I consider to be the most unlikeliest of places as this is an ex-coworker of mine who I have very unpleasant memories of working with and to this very day we butt heads.
In moments like this however, I am forced to rethink the differences I have with the people around me and open my eyes to the similarities we share... not only as Americans... but more importantly as human beings...
It is truly beautiful... and Greg... You have my utmost respect for having the courage to open up and share your perspective... I share this in honor of your courage...
Well spoken!
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Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 10:51 AM
Subject: Indulge me for just a moment
Thanks to all of you that voted yesterday.
I just wanted to share something with you – I've worked with many of you for several years now, and consider you my friends. I think most of you know a little bit about my family, and so you probably recognize that yesterday's election results meant a lot in my household. I expect about half of you receiving this email, or maybe slightly more than that depending on geographic location, may not be thrilled about how things turned out yesterday. Some of you are ecstatic. Some of you are frustrated. Some of you are fearful. Some of you might be angry. But I wanted to share with you my perspective, and give you something to think about.
At 10 or 11pm last night, I don't remember which, I was able to pull my eight-year old son out of bed, bring him downstairs, and tell him that he could, in fact, have the opportunity to do anything in this wonderful country – that this wasn't just an empty promise, but was a real possibility. He wanted to know why both my wife and I were crying.
I explained to him that it wasn't because one presidential candidate won over another, but because our country, which I have loved all of my life, and which some of my relatives have fought and died for, had done something great. We talked about it at some length. When I went to Colorado a few weeks back to knock on the doors of openly hostile strangers and worry about the snarling pit bulls in the yard next to me, it was so that I could have this opportunity.
He's eight. He leads a happy and sheltered life. But even he has come home and explained to us that he wasn't invited to Johnnie's birthday party, because Johnnie told him that "no brown kids were invited." So he understood, at least a little bit, what we were talking about.
I gave him a copy of two things to read. One was a copy of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. You have all heard the speech, and I don't need to quote it here. I thought it was important he read the speech. We talked about the time and place and events that led up to that speech.
I also gave him a copy of something else. It was a transcript of some remarks given by Dr. King on April 3rd, 1968. These words were spoken in Memphis, Tennessee, a city in which I lived just a few years later. I was a young boy. I had cerebral palsy, and had a crooked leg and couldn't walk like the other kids. I got beat up every single day. I don't have fond memories of Memphis.
Dr. King concludes, in part, with the following:
"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything."
The next day, Martin Luther King was shot dead in Memphis. I remember being in school in Memphis a few years afterwards, and the deep shame that my teacher felt on the anniversary of that date.
Here in Utah, one of the reddest of red states, the mountains are high. But even in the snow this morning, the view from the mountaintops is great.
I honestly believe this would be possible in no other country on Earth. Work hard to see to it that your view of good governance is instituted. Work to improve the lifes of your fellow men and women. But don't forget that regardless of how far we have to go, and how imperfect things are, however high the peak is in front of you, this country, and we its inhabitants – even the most downtrodden of us -- enjoys blessings found no place else on Earth.
I hope now my son really understands.
Thanks,
Greg
