Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Change Don' Came


That's what this guy said Tuesday morning.

I was out on assignment for work, standing in the cold, listening to people talk about what "President Barack Obama" meant to them. That's when this guy broke out that memorable, and increasingly familiar line:

Change Don' Came

It's a cool way to talk about today.

Change is everywhere in our country and much of it is not good. Everyday I get up and hear more bad news about the economic state of this country and I wonder if the dire predictions of my web friend KIT are going to come true. Are we on the verge of a total collapse of civilization? Will my children and grandchildren be doomed to a standard of life much worse than my own?

At times it seems like the answer is a terrifying yes, but then I think about Obama.

His election means that in at least one way, life will be incredibly better for the generations to come.

Times still will be hard, and people still will suffer, but this election means that there is a good shot that future generations will have to expand their idea of what black people can achieve. Obama, if he heals America's ills, has a great chance to become the most celebrated and appreciated president of all time. And that would be huge for black people.

But, enough of worrying about the future, today was about celebrating the now. The crowds gathered in D.C. and the even larger crowds gathered around television sets across the country, reminded us all of how big this thing is. The smiling, upturned faces of children, the beaming smiles of our elders, this was a day to remember. It was a time of joy, of hope, of happiness.

Tomorrow will hold many dark moments and troubling sacrifices, but today did not. Today was not marred by those future fears even as Obama spoke about them honestly and directly.

Change is here.

Long live change.



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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

So now you can stop bitching about racism.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lord, I hope that was a joke and not an ignorant, clueless troll...

Big Man said...

Welcome Anonymous.

I hope you stick around long enough to give yourself a name.

Have a great day.

Eboy said...

Allen......until cats like that get informed....shit will stay the same. Keep speaking the truth.

Anonymous said...

Nah, it ain't going to stay the same. Today is the living proof that we are on an unbelievable journey. True story.

The troll is just lingering swill, kind of like scum left in the tub. Proof that there was dirt and dead skin that had to be scrubbed off.

I know, we have a lot more bathing before we get all shiny and sweet but hey, let's get to scrubbing!

Sorry for the foolishness, I'm just giddy with relief and jubilation and disbelief and wonder and awe and weariness and humility at all that is still left to do.

Unknown said...

I'm with Lolo...exhausted and exhilarated. I'm just glad I was there, glad I made it home tonight without falling asleep on the road and glad I get to sleep all day tomorrow while OUR NEW PRESIDENT gets to work.

Then I need to get to work and have his back. I have no time for Anon, there's too much to be done - we have been called to serve so it's time to get to it!

Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said...

Yes, it's a new day. Yes, things done changed. The older generation gets it, but, because the change is so profound, they have difficulty describing it. Same with writers.

Big Man, writers, including me, are having a hard time describing what this means to older black people who denied the vote, who went through the daily abuse of their humanity, the daily indignities, to witness inauguration of one of their own as the president of the land. It's too overwhelming.

I think that, unless we revisit not only the economic profit but the hurt and pain it infused within the souls of some of its citizens, we'll never fully understand what this means to some black Americans.

Big Man said...

Good point MacDaddy. I was watching NBATV last night and they had an interview with John Thompson that touched on how ingrained that pain and disillusionment is in older people.

Unknown said...

Mac Daddy, Big Man - I posted on this yesterday on my blog. And I was talking to Papa G about it last night and he said to me, "I'm glad you can't understand what I'm feeling right now. That was the POINT of everything we worked for, so you wouldn't HAVE to understand."

There is no way to say thank you, I think, other than to move forward and strive on, never forgetting the things we can't understand or the people who made it all possible.




Raving Black Lunatic