Yes We Can

My fellow Americans, we are down right now, but we will rise again.

The year is 2008.

The crisp autumn air is charged with hope and change.

The American spirit is alive with promise and progress.

My American mind soars with dreams of a brighter future for our great country, my home, our home.

***

It’s early November.

All around me, the teachers and students at my lower-middle-class Catholic elementary school seem equally excited.

We’re buzzing. We’re wishing. We’re dreaming.

We’ve seen segments of speeches on the new smart boards at the front of class. These are important interruptions to our regularly scheduled lessons.

These are glimpses of what could be.

***

I’m in sixth grade.

In class, we’ve learned that many Catholic nuns fought for racial justice and social justice in the Civil Rights Movement.

We learned that the Sisters of Saint Joseph, the order of nuns at our school, took part in these good works.

We learned that nuns in Philadelphia, a short SEPTA ride away, played an important role in this fight.

This was our fight.

***

It’s after school on the big day.

I along with my siblings pile into my mom’s car and head to my grandparents’ house.

We’ve got Dominoes: two pizzas and breadsticks with all the dips they offered. We get to have soda tonight, too.

We sit around the TV in my grandparents’ sitting room, or as they’ve dubbed it on this occasion, “The Situation Room.”

I take my spot on the floor right in front and watch in eager anticipation.

***

It’s almost time.

States get called. This state goes blue (us); that state goes red (the other guys). We wait on the swing states; they’ll decide the election.

My mom and grandparents talk, and the people on the screen talk and speculate.

Could it really happen? Is this really possible? Could America really elect an African American to be president? We don’t know.

We wonder. We wait. We hope.

This is the first election I’m aware of. This is it. This is democracy. This is why we fly the flag and sing “God Bless America” and this is why we mean it.

Anything seemed possible for us Americans, but we hadn’t proven it yet.

***

It’s our turn.

Pennsylvania is up.

Our state, Pennsylvania gets called.

We voted blue! The state on the map of the US turns blue.

***

It’s time.

Finally, enough states get called.

Can we do it? Can we?

Yes, we can!

The TV shows a picture of Barack Obama, our new American President.

We won.

***

Now, it’s nearly two decades later.

In times like these, when many of us feel discouraged and down about the state of our country, I find it helpful to focus on our good memories of America.

We, the American people, can be so much better than the people we’ve been showing up as in recent years.

Can we overcome this trying time? Can we become more moral, more just, more free?

Yes, we can.

***

Yes, we can.

Yes, we did.

Yes, we will again.

***

To President Obama, I’d like to say a big, Thanks Obama! Thank you for giving me and so many millions of Americans hope, healthcare, and a country we can be proud of.

To my readers, thank you all for reading! Thank you for giving me a space to share my thoughts, hopes, and dreams.

I’d like to ask, what is one of your favorite American memories when we’ve been a better version of ourselves?

Obligatory Disclaimer: all views expressed here are my own personal views and do not represent the views of my employer nor those of the U.S. government.