As I watched former President Obama deliver a national
commencement speech to our nation’s graduating high school seniors in lieu of
the one they won’t get this year under normal circumstances due to COVID 19
three things struck me I wasn’t prepared for.
One, how much I missed his national leadership and speaking skills where
he always seemed to be talking WITH you as opposed to one speaking at you. Second, he reminded me how whenever he could
he always called for us, as Americans, to contribute to community either
nationally or locally as opposed to someone who always tried to angle themselves
to take away from our communities at the expense of it’s denizens. And finally, thirdly I was taken by his call
to the youth of America to make be the leaders we expect of them and make the changes
we need.
It was so much more than a congratulatory bromide that one
usually hears form guest speakers that I kind of half heartedly expected but
one that was a call to not just be true to themselves and be who they are but a
call to make a difference. It reminded me so much of President Kennedy’s call
to, “…..ask not what your country can do for you, but to ask what you can do
for your country.” In a new dark age of
Trumpism where we only hear, “…get what’s yours and to hell with everyone else”
it was a hope that this too will pass. One
can only hope our seniors striking out on the path Mr. Obama called for takes
up that challenge and heed his call. We are
counting on them in ways they certainly can’t imagine.
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