Obama inauguration was an awesome day (From Enfield Independent)

Obama inauguration was an awesome day

9:57am Wednesday 28th January 2009

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NO ONE in their right mind can deny that the appointment of Barack Obama to the highest position in the world is of awesome significance.

I, like billions of others around the world, sat glued to my TV to witness the inauguration of a humble, regular person like myself take oath to the highest office.

A person of African and white parentage had at long last made it to the White House.

His mixed-race heritage confers not only neutrality, but also unity across the globe, cemented by his sound, honest and appealing policies.

It was heart-warming to see that neither the credit crunch nor the inclement weather deterred multitudes from making the trip to the other side of the world to witness this historical occasion in person.

I personally was unable to make that sacrifice.

Besides, from the comfort of my own settee, I was guaranteed to hear – and hang on to – his every word, and indeed witness the grand affair more clearly.

We cannot deny that the world was not only hungry and thirsty for change, but was more than ready for it. Truth, transparency and commitment to the ordinary man’s plight is what most of us have been longing and waiting impatiently for from our political leaders.

One would have to be naive and vain to think that Obama can wave the magic wand and make all our problems disappear, especially overnight.

His own somber speech made that very clear that we have to face up to our problems and accept individual responsibility for our plight.

Speaking to some people in my neighbourhood, especially young people, Obama has inspired us all to go for it with a passion. No more excuses, no holding back.

It surely is time to make sacrificial changes, to put those dreams to the test – to trust God to help us in our quest for a better history for ourselves and future generations.

I look forward to the future with hope, as I have committed to a future as a volunteer drug educator with Hope UK, an organisation committed to enabling young people to make “drug-free choices.”

Marigold Ndicho Katsande, Central Avenue, Enfield

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