I want to share a moment that illustrates, yet again, what an exceptional human being we are on the cusp of electing to the Presidency of the United States of America.
On this crisp, stunningly beautiful fall afternoon at Ida Lee Park, a short walk from our home in Leesburg, VA, Barack Obama electrified us all with his authentic, palpable, humanity; his sublime connection with the crowd; his grace and ease in our midst, his profound mastery of language...
I was standing in the crowd maybe 40 or 50 feet back from the podium, and at a point well into his speech Barack began a sentence with:
"If I become president, I will....".
What welled out of me was a resounding bellow , at the top of my lungs, of "WHEN!", for I cannot abide the thought of anything other than victory on Nov 4--despite not taking anything for granted and working as if we were underdogs. The contents of my outburst, obviously resonating with others around me, was immediately taken up by many others in my vicinity...
WHEN! WHEN! WHEN!
We quickly gained volume over several exclamation and Barack, noticing, turned to look at us and smiled recognizing our emphatic objection to his use of the word "If".
"I don't count my chickens..." he said to us smiling; a gentle, yet determined, intensity in his gaze.
Then, returning to his speech, with a new smile gracing his face, and with his supreme command of the English language, he effortlessly modified his original text to use the ever more appropriate:
"As president, I will..."
rather than his original "If I become president, I will..." or our suggested, but presumptuous and inappropriate, "When I am President, I will...".
If you think about what he did, in this small and apparently insignificant detail, you might recognize, as I have, that once again this demonstrates what a SUPREMELY COMPETENT human being we have nominated to lead us. It illustrates his blazingly fast and efficient ability to take criticism, impartially assess his original conception, consider in turn a suggested alternative, and effortlessly synthesize an even better alternative to either his original conception or the proffered suggestion, and continue, seamlessly, on point in his mission. If he can do this with a turn of phrase, in a speech before his supporters, he can do the same in a meeting of the National Security Council, contemplating issues where the lives and fortunes of millions rest on such talent and ability. Of this I am utterly certain; no doubt at all in my mind.
In closing I want to declare that I am ever so thankful of the opportunity, today, to see Barack Obama in person and experience, first hand, the catalyst of hopeful change that Barack Obama represents. He is THE ONE, to lead us out of this wilderness; this swamp of corruption, greed, and fear drenched Ideology towards a future that restores the American Dream to all of us so fortunate to be Citizens of this great Nation as well as to those, through out the world, that long for an America that once again can represent their best hopes and dreams for a better world for themselves, their families, and their peoples.
So, lets all do our part. in the next 13 days. Lets make it happen! Yes we can and yes we WILL!
Obama/Biden08!
--Dragpa Gyaltsen