Obama, the president-elect, not the place in Japan

November 6, 2008

Why has everyone gone gaga over Obama? Personally, nothing fazes me much. Maybe, because having been raised in a family where almost constantly only the ephemerality of things was highlighted, I find everything . . . well, ephemeral like an ocean wave. Having said this, I must also confess that I'm quite grounded too in the affairs of the world.

"Barry" as his elementary school classmates back in Indonesia call him, indeed is a breath of fresh air. Though he won't deliver your milk in the morning as some people who have highly unrealistic expectations for this man (please, he's no God) whose victory spells "all is possible" under the sun hope, he definitely has a rare kind of peripheral vision. His history-making victory alone is proof of this.

I do believe he'll surround himself with people like himself--smart, deisciplined, aware--will listen to all points of view and would ultimately do things not impress but to make a real difference, not just superficial. Silly bravado will not define his actions but thoughtful and deliberate consideration of all sides of an issue. This is what is required of all human beings (animals seem to exhibit this trait far better than even us) to effect appropriate solutions to life's even minuscule problems, and so one can only imagine how much more critical it's going to be for the president of a giant nation.

I do have faith in the new guy about to move into the White House that he'll do the right thing and I'm being foolish perhaps to think that the new world order could even move toward the legendary Rama Rajya model delineated in the Ramayana.

Thanks to the the two little girls who'd be making the White House their home, too, one lucky dog is also bound to accompany them.

Ciao!