My Dream With Obama

I have never had friends in high places. My inner circle consists of my closest friends, (including my supernal blog friends) two goldfish, a neighbor’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who looks just like a child, my beloved dictionary to which I owe my mental dexterity and millions of thoughts in my head.

So imagine my shock when I got a call from the most powerful man in the country (and possibly the world), president-elect Barack Obama.

Though I was dreaming, it felt real. Let me recap.

It has been a week since America has elected a new president and there is still a buzz in the air. It’s like Julie Andrews is running down the Alps singing, “The hills are alive with the sound of music.”

Most people I have seen are genuinely excited. They have a spring in their step. They are smiling. Their words have passion behind them. I have never seen this much enthusiasm over a president in my life.

President-elect Barack Obama is the celebrated football quarterback who has won the super presidential bowl. Now everyone from all over the world wants to get a piece of him like he is a caped crusader out to save the world.

Everywhere I go, there are debates on what he is going to do, how he’s going to do it and who will be calling in their markers? When I went into a local coffee shop to buy the newspaper, I happened upon a heated debate about our new president. There is nothing like a political discussion in a coffee shop.

Some of the discussions were so expert that I thought the patrons were political pundits. One conversation caught my ear. I had to quickly find a seat and get my note pad out. (I don’t leave home without it.) I was the impromptu coffee shop debate stenographer.

Here is a snippet of what I overheard.

Two men were seated at a table by the window. One man was in his 40’s. The other man was in his 20’s. I will name the man in his 40’s, Philip and the younger one, Justin.

Philip: Would Obama have won if he were a republican? His whole campaign was run to undermine the Bush administration and he never properly addressed his radical associations with questionable characters of his past.

Justin: Dude, the republicans are the ones who have [bleep] this country up. Bush is no better than Mussolini, Saddam Hussein or Kim Jong Il, the only difference is oil and soil. Obama’s whole campaign was run to implement change and that is what he will do.

Philip: There is a difference between a successful campaign and a successful presidency.

Justin: He already proved what he can do by winning. He is for the people. He knows what we need.

Philip: You refuse to see Obama for what he is - a typical politician. A socialist one, at that. He has his hands in the pocket of every American under the guise of taking it for the the middle class. He wants to triple tax everything. If he could find a way to tax the air, he would. He wants to bankrupt companies and start a whole new wave of unemployment.

Justin: Greenhouse effects are killing us. It is time to start looking for smarter, more efficient ways to fuel what we need. We’re losing our planet. Fish are dying, birds, plants, people, all because of the abuse of the planet.

Philip: Only one percent of the earth’s atmosphere make up greenhouse gases. Without it the earth would be 30 degrees colder, too cold to sustain our current ecosystem. The atmosphere is exactly how it is meant to be.

Justin: Bush cut back on safety regulations for coal companies and lobbyists kept his pockets fat. He made it necessary for Obama to find alternate fuel sources. More deaths and injuries occurred in the last 8 years because of Bush than when coal miners died of black lung before they reached 40. Over 10,000 citations were written the last 8 years that have not been enforced because of lobbying.

Philip: Obama's plan of bankrupting coal plants won’t solve the country’s problems. Coal makes up for a large part of our electricity. And that’s another thing, electricity prices are going to skyrocket. Coal supplies 50% of this country's power. It keeps our lights on. What are we going to do if they go out? No computers. No hospital machines. No fancy flat screens.

Justin: He’ll change America. He’ll do it. We could use a change. He’ll bring the soldiers home. He’ll put us all back on track.

Philip: The soldiers were already scheduled to come home. Remember he’s just a first term senator with no experience. He ran those campaign promises on a hope and a prayer. He’s a political salesman.

Justin: Hey, the middle class has been screwed all their life. They don’t have good health care, they're losing their 401k’s. They have no retirement. He’s gonna change that. The economy will get back to normal.

Philip: He hasn't done anything to prove himself and already you have given him carte blanche over your life. As soon as he won, stocks dropped. Then he goes to the wealthy like Warren Buffet to be on his economic panel and steer him in the right direction. Is Buffet's alliance to the county or his portfolio?

Justin: Dude, all I know is that he is the right man.

I almost ran out of paper getting this conversation. An observer’s work is never done. That evening as I finished transcribing my notes, I wondered if the country was truly happy with it’s decision or just basking in the honeymoon period? Only time will tell.

Now I can get back to my dream. In the dream, I was at home relaxing and the phone rang.

“Alexys,” the voice on the phone said.

“Yes,” I reply.

“It’s Barack,” he says.

“Who?,” I inquire.

“Barack Obama,” he states.

“Hi, how are you?,” I say.

“A little tired,” but I can’t complain," he says.

He was very relaxed and sounded like I already knew him. (Although I don't know how he got my number?) He asked me about writing and I have no idea what else he or I said until the end of the conversation. Two words stood out, "Be positive."

It was like he was listening in on that coffee shop debate and he gave me a personal message. I guess, now I DO have friends in high places - dreamland.

I guess now I’m going to the inauguration party - only the hottest ticket in town. If you’ll excuse me, I have to go shopping.

Maybe this dream will turn out to be a nightmare. Maybe it won't. We will soon see what is around the bend.

Do you think people around the world think of Obama as a savior?
Do you think that they are going through a transference of emotion and have put their hopes, dreams and expectations on his shoulders?
What do you think people are seeing in him?
Are they seeing what they want to see, or what is there?