Historical Importance

I took this picture on election day of a man playing his trumpet in downtown LA. The sound echoed down the street. It traveled with the cool winds that were blowing at the time; whipping in, out and in between buildings. He stood down the street from a park called Pershing Square. I could hear him from there at first. The songs he played were a great tribute to what would become a very special and historical day. One melody sounded like that Sam Cooke song, A Change Is Gonna Come; a beautiful song which could surely serve as the theme for the now President Elect, Barack Obama.

Today as I watched more interviews, opinions, and thoughts shared about Obama's victory, I questioned though not too vigorously, the ways in which such a huge moment tends to be defined by the media, per se. I mean, the effort is geared more so toward what our celebrities think and feel rather than the people in say the most remote parts of this country. I'm slightly guilty of wondering about the thoughts of those famous ones that I admire too; I can't lie; Denzel, Michael Jordan, Spike Lee, etc but a nice little quote floated across my mind as I was thinking about this stuff today... I said something to myself and wrote it down...

"It's important not only to know how the famous feel but also or perhaps more so, how history resonates within our own hearts. It is also important how we respond to what we've seen as a new measuring stick for just how far we can dream, thus turning that dream into achievement at the cost of hard work. Dare to dream and follow it up with effort."

As cool as it is to see and hear from Oprah, Jessie, Brad Pitt, and others, I would love to hear the personal stories of the regular folk on the street, in the country, in the hood, in the senior citizen homes and in the schools that have been motivated and inspired by this very human beacon of hope... I would love to hear more from the elders who can compare and contrast how things were and how this became... An elders journey from what was to how it is now are stories we should never take for granted. This moment in time is huge and humbling, especially if you're aware from whence it all came to be... Awareness is important and respect always due...