Calculated Thought in a Random Universe

The Enormity of the Task That Lies Ahead… November 5, 2008

They claim that change happened today.  They report that Barack Obama and the American citizens made history today.  To the contrary, change happens continuously with each passing second, or whichever division of time you choose to measure with.  We continually write our own history, however we choose to only recognize or remember specific snapshots in time.  Celebrate or sulk in this historic occasion as you wish, but only for a moment, since we must prepare ourselves to tackle “the enormity of the task that lies ahead.”

An outstanding orator, Barack Obama delivered a very “presidential” acceptance speech this evening. However, I hope that these eight words forming this quotation did not fall on deaf ears – those elated with victory, those overwhelmed by defeat, or those simply not listening.  In today’s world, marketing makes or breaks a political campaign, and the Obama camp orchestrated the cult of personality to its success by preaching the gospel of change.  Right or wrong, let us combine the energy, optimism, and passion of that campaign with sensibility, civility, and most importantly, critical thinking.  Only then can we as a nation effectively work through our collective problems which make up the enormous task in front of us.