COLUMN: The American dream lives on after election
As of last week, a second term for President Barack H. Obama is no longer in question and the focus is shifting from winning swing states to the road of recovery America desperately needs. America has grown to be the incredible child of what seems like imaginary tales. A nation not just made up of old white rich men, but a world full of brighter colors representing the brighter days ahead. Whether you are white, black, Hispanic, Asian, man or woman, gay or straight, young or old, we are truly becoming a nation that is proudly representing people from all walks of life. No matter who your candidate was, no matter who you voted for, we must come together.
Togetherness has become a common theme of mine in the past, but now it is something that truly must be done. Life is fragile yet exhilarating, and during this upcoming time of thanks, we must take into account that every day that goes by is a day that you could have possibly changed someone else’s life, and quite possibly the world. Together, we must strive to do the things that others refuse to do. The time we have on this earth to make the difference is always in question. No one imagines that when they wake up, today could quite possibly be the day they may perish. That individual may have been holding the key of greatness, but in their absence, a constant struggle remains.
Determination can be found from within the struggles of our everyday lives, no matter what religion, race or creed you have or do not have. There are no awards won for the constant everyday battle within life, perhaps just another day to keep fighting. At the end of your life’s journey, which will inevitably come, one can only hope to have made a difference. Yet that difference cannot be made by hoping for change, but that change must come from within. People will forever doubt you, they will question you and they will challenge you. But the most important thing in life is overcoming those challenges. A quick glance into the eyes of a certain individual one can see the questions, the scars of the struggles along the way, the current battles and the prospect for taking on new battles. And the most important thing of them all is the unwillingness to settle, always demanding the most out of every situation.
That demand cannot only be seen in the eyes of a person, but can be seen from the collective heart of a nation. Independent and growing on our own, yet constantly coming together for the better of all of society, our nation has once again proved to the world just how much we can come together. We have kept our promise for a better world. As the elder generations keep on questioning the motives and decisions of the younger generations, we may be the first generation in history to never take no for an answer. If you say you are too old to do something, than you are, and if you say something cannot be done, then it won’t be done. Our generation has come together to never say something cannot be done and we are here to change the world. The future is brighter than one could have ever imagined, and as of this November, the dream still lives on and the best is yet to come.
Reach columnist Jake Jungers at [email protected]
