Waiting On Change

The North Carolina primary has passed. Obama reigned victorious as expected. Hillary ignored the loss and instead looked to her slim victory in Indiana somehow as indication that she should still be the nominee. But as I stood outside the Cricket Arena Tuesday in a line that wrapped around the building twice, I wondered about my true political intention.

Was I really here to hear Obama speak? Did I expect to learn something new I had not heard in countless other addresses? Was I undecided? Was I even registered? And finally, did I really expect to November’s changing of the guard to result in measurable, visible change in my day to day life…or the lives of my unborn (unconceived) children?

Honestly I’d have to say no. No to all of the above. Be honest with yourselves. Regardless of McCain, Clinton or Obama, you still have to go to work everyday. You still have to put overpriced gas in your car. You still have to pay higher prices for food for your family. And you still will be without healthcare if you don’t punch that clock everyday.

Am I a pessimist? No but a realist. I’m not aware of anyone that receives a call from a bill collector and is able to quill their demands with a message of hope. Put hope in the tank? Pay for college with hope?

So here I was at three o’clock in the afternoon waiting in line with 7,500 other folks for a speaker that was not scheduled to start until 5:30pm. This is my life? This is how I bring about change? I looked around at my new friends. Had they watched half the debates I watched. Were they regular readers of local and national newspapers? Where was the last time they watched Dateline. Not to say I am a supreme political pundit but I know many people that decided which candidate they would support months ago but had absolutely no basis for that decision.

Take a few minutes and outline on paper the major differences between the three candidates. If you’ve got anything on that paper please send it to me ASAP.

Real change to me would be represented by an election that featured a socialist candidate, a liaise faire capitalist, and a communist. This would never happen in the U.S. But that would represent real change. That would get me out of my seat.

So as I left the arena parking lot and my 7,500 friends I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had broken from the ranks and declared my own independence. Those I left behind would probably not be in line much longer but they‘d have to wait hours for a speech they’d heard before. Then they’d be in traffic burning expensive gas and further contributing to global warming. I on the other hand was making a difference. I just needed some change to get on the bus.