In the months and years that follow, with all that President Obama will go through, I doubt he will remember much at all about the Town Hall meeting at Bristol Tennessee. As many times as he's given that stump speech standing next to locally praised congressmen and senators, I wonder that he will remember it was the event he did with Congressman Boucher and Senatorial-hopeful (former governor) Mark Warner. Perhaps he will, it came on the heels among the very first of events after his capturing the nomination. For me, that's ok. It doesn't matter.
I'm not someone who scrapbooks or even has photo albums. A little over a year ago I had a housefire that destroyed what memorabilia I had of friends, family and my beloved dogs. Every trophy, ribbon and win photo from a pretty successful 15 years in dog shows was destroyed in a matter of hours. I don't grieve for that stuff - then again, had I not lost loved ones in the fire maybe I would.
In any case, I share all this because I have an Obama button collection. I took an old frame and covered it and began.. thus far, it is buttons I've come across in far and sundry places online - campaign stores, eBay.. so no memory associated except for the satisfaction of seeing it grow.
This past Thursday I was a Volunteer at the Town Hall Meeting in Bristol. The staff organizer - with my volunteering - placed me in the group that seated VIP guests. Why? Well I would guess but my bet is cause I have the look of a Hillary supporter. Middle aged, white and without my girlish figure.
It was a great day. I was gratified to see everyone that came to see him. I was thrilled at how supportive everyone was. I wish the day had not been so hot or tickets so desired however because I am pretty sure that he only spoke to the 'choir' live. The people in there were a determined bunch. Many waited FAR too long in the heat to get in because they got there early to help insure their seats.
At the beginning of that day, I was given a small card stock weight square maybe 5x5 inches. I pinned it on, it identified me as a Volunteer and above it showed the characteristic "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN". I know many people would see that and think - ah, the Obama motto. He's change we can believe in. Well no, I put that on and realized that it identified ME as that change. We are the change we have been waiting for. That is WHY we can believe in it. How can we doubt ourselves? If we did would we have any reason to expect better of anyone else.
I'm glad that McCain wants to be a Leader We Can Believe In. Anyone who runs for President should uphold some ideals of a country. But I think it's clear - even in that motto - that McCain missed the point. The pundits want to believe it's about 'change', 'hope' and similar buzzwords. That we are inspired by sound bites.
I am sure that is the case for some people who watch this race on the periphery, only catching the occasional editorialized new commentary. But for those who hang on the words of Obama himself or McCain or even previously, Clinton - we know the difference is NOT rhetoric. It's empowerment.
I think Clinton may have figured out what Obama was offering but too late to effectively jump on that bandwagon. Early on however, she would use the collective "What we have to do" at the beginning of a sentence and then finish with how hard "I will work for you" or how "I will get it done". McCain - the tough Military guy - still wants to run this country like a General. Well I didn't enlist. I'm not much for blindly following orders. I appreciate the value it gives our military when people can, and I won't even debate that it is the best way to do it (not cause I think it is but because I probably don't know enough about it to really do the topic justice) - but our country is NOT an army. In fact, aggression has become too much our first and only tool in addressing our concerns internationally - at least as a FIRST response.
In any event, my 'badge' from the Town Hall meeting is now in my button collection. It's the poorest example of them being just a flimsy piece of something little more than paper. I know that there are likely 100,000 of them printed so it may also be the most common. But it is my proudest, it is associated with a first for me.. the first time I saw a President of the United States in the flesh. The fact that he came to my backyard is equally incredible to me.
Like I said, I'm not a scrapbooker or someone much for pictures...but I'd certainly encourage all of us to keep a bit of memorabilia regarding the campaign... yea, yea it might be worth something someday. Or, someday, you might get to sit down with Barack Obama and use it to remind him of the details of a campaign stop he made that has slipped him memory among all the other stops that preceded and succeeded it.
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