Obama your mama

Yep, I made it to see Senator Barack Obama yesterday at daughter Carrie's alma mater (and MR's) in Fort Wayne. I was glad I went. Here's some rambled thoughts.

Doors opened at 9 and he was to arrive at 11. I left the house around 10:30, and when I got to Wayne High School the parking lot was full, and cars were parked in just about every available nook and cranny. I went in the exit and there was about 10 yards of open space. First I parked on the baseball field side, but it was really wet, so I backed out and parked on the little hill on the other side. I was really glad, because when I went to leave almost everybody was stuck in the mud. Since I didn't have a ticket - which everyone said you were supposed to have to get in - I went dressed to stand outside. I wore a hooded sweatshirt and my big winter coat with a hood (remembering how stinking cold I got at Hillary's shindig - plus it was raining). But when I got close to the building the only people outside were Seth's youth groupers holding their "Abortion Kills Children" signs. [NOTE: I did get to talk to Seth afterwards. He left some comments on my Supper With Hillary post. I asked one of the sign holders if he was there, and after graciously being pointed to him, I introduced myself. He seems like a great guy.]

Anyway, I walked in the main doors, went through the metal detector, and a guy told me to sign in and I could go on in. I told him I didn't have a ticket and another guy said since I was so good lookin' I could go in anyway. Well... once I fit my head through the gymnasium door I realized they were letting everyone in. :) The tickets got you in the front part of the chairs on the floor. I think I actually had a better view being in the first row of the top tier of bleachers. I sat beside a nice young lady about my daughters age - and she is "supposed" to be emailing me a picture from her camera. I never even thought about bringing one. So I sat their holding my big coats and wearing my long underwear shirt and dirty UF cap. Oh well.

As far as the event goes, it was wayyyy different than Hillary's. For one thing it was bigger, so more people could attend. The crowd was also a lot more diverse. Hillary's was almost all white people. This was a pretty even split. And Obama started only about 15 minutes late, instead of an HOUR for Hillary. I also thought it interesting that they started with a prayer from a pastor in a w-i-l-d striped suit. The prayer might have been the most inspiring thing of the day. The crowd was also much rowdier and excited for this. Lots of chants and cheers and standing ovations.

Finally some white-haired guy came out and talked for a bit. Then Barack came out, and it reminded me of a basketball player being introduced or a rock star taking the stage. The first 20 minutes or so were wisely laced with lots of Martin Luther King quotes and gestures, since this was the 40th anniversary of MLK's death. Quite an honor for BO to choose to be in the Fort on this day instead of with the other candidates in Alabam.

As far as what he had to say...at first I just kept thinking, "This is it? People think this guy's a great motivational speaker?" I was pretty disappointed. But... once he put the notes away, he grabbed a microphone and started walking about the stage. THAT is when he came to life. Then he took random questions from people in the audience. They had people running around with microphones and we went boy-girl. He was much, much better speaking off the top of his head. He's very easy to listen to (IMHO).

I am not a real good judge of political content. Most of what he talked about dealt with economics. But he also really seemed to stress personal responsibility. The fact that government can only do so much, but to address a lot of our moral and educational dilemma's we need to take some responsibility as human beings to do the right thing and to look out for one another.

Again, I was really glad I got to be there. I don't know that Barack won my vote, but he didn't lose it either (if I even vote). He is just a politician. But the whole time I was there - even before he started talking - I just kept looking around at all the people. I wondered what it was they were looking for; what it was they really cared about. I wondered what Obama really cared about - not just what he said, but what would he say if he wasn't running for office. And all the while I was still thinking about son Isaac's post from the day before. It was another barn-burner (and it's about time he blogged again). Barack talked a lot about wanting to make the country safer and better for the American people. And that's probably what he should be doing as a politician. But there seems to be so much more at stake, and I'm glad there are people who are concerned about the bigger picture.

Interestingly enough, on the way home I turned on the radio. The first song I heard was a new Eagles song called Frail Grasp On The Big Picture. Click on the title for the lyrics, or click HERE for a youtube of some kid playing drums to it. That seemed to put everything I was thinking into perspective. While it's true that some people need more money, some people need better jobs, or "a" job, some need healthcare, and on and on and on. I believe the real problem has more to do with our skewed since of reality. This feeling of entitlement that we all seem to have. Our inability to see life from the 'big picture.' All we're concerned about is getting a nice house, a new car, saving for retirement, and hoping to have a nice easy life. And I think THAT is what's wrong with our world. [ADDED LATER: Not that it's wrong to get a good job, house, and save for retirement. But if that's ALL we think it's about, and if we do those things at the expense of others, THEN it is a problem]. It's a spiritual problem. It's a lack of understanding how we all fit together as a society; how we all fit together as God's Creation; and the role of love and responsibility and grace and forgiveness and patience and peace and all that stuff Jesus talked about.

So... I don't know if Barack Obama will make a good President or not. He might. He might be no better than Hillary or John or Ron. But none of them can solve all our problems. We need Jesus. We need to be transformed from the inside out; to have our thinking and our perspective changed; we need to recognize our guilt, take responsibility for our messed-up-ness, repent, ask God to forgive us and show us the way; and then follow. And the thing is... it may or may not mean a better life for us in the short term. But we've got to forget this notion that that's what's important.

So... I dunno. That's what I was thinking. Peace out, folks. And peace in too.