Lighten Up and Live Longer

Yesterday, we had the privilege of being part of a symbolic ceremony: the honorary renaming of our street, Delmar Blvd, as Barack Obama Boulevard. That honorary name encompasses the part of this lengthy road that runs through the city of St. Louis.

The renaming was not a commentary on how they think the new president will perform, but on the event of the election of the first African-American president to this country’s highest office. It was an auspicious gathering by city standards: We had the city controller, representatives of our Washington congressional representatives, the mayor’s right hand man, and all the African-American aldermen and women. In truth, my sweetie and I made up half the Caucasian faces present. Curiously absent were the Caucasian aldermen, and any Caucasian politicos. They sent African-American representatives in their stead.

After a snappy number of percussion pieces by the Roosevelt High School Band that was honored to have played at the Inauguration in Washington DC, we had the presenting of the color guard, and an extraordinary rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by an African American minister. Various dignitaries spoke about what this moment meant to them. Their pure joy that this day had ever come, let alone in their lifetime, was palpable. It made me realize that I could never know what their struggles have been like over the years, through slavery, emancipation, segregation, and innuendo. Now this tall young man who speaks so well, better than any Caucasian president in recent history, and who seems to embody a realistic view of a nation pulling together, sharing each others’ loads, and forging ahead, has demonstrated to our country and the world that his race is one with ours, and that the measure of a man (or woman) has nothing to do with the color of his skin. It has everything to do with understanding how things get done when you have been unable to use the routes available to a more privileged race and class.

Obama gets it: we each have a personal responsibility for our future. Nothing will be handed to us. We have to make our success and do our part to make it happen. That means taking care of our health by not taking drugs, smoking, and changing our lifestyle. It means taking care of our fiscal health by not borrowing beyond our means, avoiding risky investments and living only for today. The government can help, but it can only do so much. But even more important: he gets that we have to put aside special interests and entitlement at our top echelons, and start taking care of each other. That will be the hardest lesson to get across, especially to the privileged who don’t like to share.

Renaming a street is only symbolic, but I like the symbolism. We have come a long way. Now let’s buckle down and keep it going, one neighbor and one activist at a time.