Blog

Sometimes I say things that I regret (more like often).  The very nature of having a blog means that some of the things I post are going to make me look and sound like an idiot.  Many times, I change my mind on things, whether it be because I acquire new information, experience something that causes me to switch my views, or for whatever other reason I might see something differently.  I’ve gone back and read old posts from this blog many times and often think that I am a complete jackass for writing a certain way or siding with this or that.  I cringe when I read this post, or this one, and many others.  Oh well, that’s unavoidable when you put yourself out there.

Friends ask me why I have a blog, especially considering no one reads it.  I can never really give a straight answer, but I think I do it more for myself than for anything else.  When writing a long, serious post, my thoughts on a particular topic are fleshed out.  I may not have a particularly strong opinion on what I am writing about, but they very act of writing about it helps me understand it better.  On the other end of the spectrum, when I post a song I am really enjoying or a video I think is great, it is a release of my excitement for it from my mind.  Once it’s on the blog, I can let it go.

That may sound weird, but blogging clears my mind.  For this reason, I think everyone should blog in some way.  Whether it be blogging about the industry you work in, about how much you love a sports team, about your frat brothers/sorority sisters, your diet, your workout, etc., blogging will help you.  Trust me.  No one may read it, but it’s good for you.  Blog away.

Once again, I have nothing good to contribute to my blog, so I figured I should do another edition of The Ramblings:

My sister Andrea, her friend Meg, and my Dad visited me this weekend.  We all went to the Illinois - Ohio State game, which turned out to be cold and dissapointing.  It was a fun weekend none the less.

Tried to register for my classes today and was DESTROYED by U of I.  Why must it be so difficult.  Why.

After eating dinners that come in bags and take out for about the 100th straight night, I’m ready to go home and have a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.  Immediately.

Saw Quantum of Solace this weekend.  Excellent addition to Casino Royale.  The theme song, by Jack White and Alicia Keys, is also very good.

Other movies I’ve seen lately: Apocalypse Now, great movie, but quite eery and disturbing, and American Beauty, another excellent film.

I have listened to this song in some form about 15 times over the past few days.  So good.

(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

[See post to listen to audio]

Porterhouse steak with a baked potato and Caesar salad, topped off with a Pacifico. YES!

I don’t know who this person is, but I think they captured the night very well.  Song is Radiohead’s “House of Cards” from In Rainbows.

I am twenty years old.  Not quite a man yet, but I would like to think I have the capacity to think for myself, to understand things that go on in the world, and form educated, thoughtful opinions on matters.  I have been “aware” for over two years now.  Prior to my senior year of highschool, I tried to be an adult, but wasn’t quite ready.  Now, I feel I’m there.  I am starting to understand why things are the way they are and why they aren’t what we might want them to be.  Sometimes, it’s just the forces of nature, the forces of millions of people coexisting.  Other times, it’s the same sketchy processes being tried over and over again, but with no new results.  Rarely does this change.

What happened on Tuesday was one of the greatest things I have ever seen.  People of all ages participating with enthusiasm and happiness.  We may not have all had the same goal on the surface, but ultimately we all want the same thing deep down.  I have no doubt in my mind that most people love this country.  There are a million reasons why we are the greatest country in the world, the very fact that we can choose our leaders being one of them.  I can’t describe why I feel the way I do.  Maybe it was because it was my first time voting, but I do know that we came together on Tuesday.

I am very sad that not everyone feels as happy and hopeful as I do.  I wish everyone could experience the feeling of excitement that Barack Obama supporters are feeling.  I say that as if I have been a longtime supporter of Obama, but that is not true.  In truth, I have admired and been intrigued by Barack Obama since his acceptance speech for the US Senate in 2004.  I have not, however, contributed time or money to his campaign in any way.  I wasn’t ready to make a decision I felt was extremely important so early on.  For months my friends asked me “So do you know who you are gonna vote for?” and I would always give the same answer: “I haven’t decided yet”.  And I really had not.

A lot of people my age, and young people in general, jumped on the Barack Obama band wagon very early.  I say that not in a negative way, but there is really no other word to use.  Some of these people supported Barack Obama because it was seen as the cool or hip thing to do.  I don’t think it’s right to support something you don’t understand, but I can’t really be angry with someone my age supporting something positive, whether for the right reasons or not.  Because of this, I was very cautious in making my decisions and feeling my way around the political landscape.  As I explained earlier, I am very much in the middle on many issues.  My stance on the Iraq War has changed many times.  I still don’t really know how I feel about it.  My point is, that this was not an easy decision for me like it was for some.

Roughly three weeks ago, it hit me.  I would be part of a group that elected Barack Obama for the Presidency of the United States of America.  Not just the first African American president, but the first president in my lifetime who inspired me to be a better person.

What happened in Grant Park on Tuesday night was beautiful.  That is the only way to describe it.  Beautiful.  One million people joyfully and peacefully came together, in a city I love so much, to celebrate a human being who inspires them to be kinder, work harder, be better.  With the backdrop of those city lights, people cried tears of joy and yelled in happiness.  I was not there physically, but I felt like I was.  I felt like I was witnessing a new era my life starting right in front of me.  Even as I sit here at 4 in the morning, I feel like a better person in every aspect of my life, even in writing!

Regardless of what happens during the Obama administration, I have already reaped the benefits of the new presidency.  If you want something bad enough, and you are willing to come together with those around you and work hard enough, you can make anything happen.  I can’t imagine a better lesson.

What can you say?

These thoughts are a bit jumbled together, but they are all I can muster right now.  More structured posts will come later.

As I sit here watching President Barack Obama’s acceptance speech for the second time, I can say that I have never been more proud to be a young person, to be a Chicago citizen, but most importantly, to be an American Citizen.  Few events have been more symbolic of what America stands for and what America can be to it’s citizens than the events of tonight.

Congratulations America, you have grown a lot.

I have not lived a long life, but cannot help but think that today is the first day of the next era of my life.  Barack Obama being elected president will not have a dramatic change on what kind of job I get, how much money I make, or how I can support my family.  It will, however, change the lives of millions of people around me.  As CNN analyst Roland Martin, who is African-American, said, blacks across the country can say to their children “yes, you can be President”, and actually mean it.

I will write many posts on this subject, many of which will contain cliches and tired old patriotism.  But I will mean every word of it.  Today was a big loss to the people who hate our freedom and our will to live.  It was a victory for all who love this great country, whether they realize or not.