Obama’s change

One thing I know about Obama is that throughout the next four years, we will have no lack of rousing speeches in times of difficulty. His inaugural address was inspiring. The kind of speech that if all its declarations were carried out perfectly, would heal the nation in next to no time. It certainly drew a crowd and numberless raving Obama fans. I did not vote for Obama, but I really hope he does what he says he will do. His record does not assure me that he will succeed as president, but then again records only go so far. He may surprise me and I am hoping he does.

Something that I have struggled to understand though, is the fierce loyalty that many people have for this man.  None of them knows how his presidency will unfold, yet they act as if The Savior Himself has just assumed the country’s highest office.  I suppose such loyalty is admirable, but he hasn’t done anything yet.  He has given hope for sure, but as the next four years unfold, I will need more than that to shower him with the praise that so many others do.

I understand that everybody shows excitement or anticipation in different ways.  Personally, I will offer my loyalty to the new president and then observe and process what I see before I offer praise.  I never have been the type to fall over myself trying to catch a glimpse of some public figure.  Instead I try to ask what it is that inspires such wild reactions in their followers, and if it is admirable, then maybe I can model myself after it.  But that “something” has to be admirable. 

In Obama’s case, he has some big promises to keep; a big mess to fix.  He’s not a rock star because he has promised to enact change – he will be deemed worthy of my admiration when he shows me he will uphold the constitution at all costs, strengthen moral values as much as he is able, and keep the promises he has made to reform broken Washington.  Even then I won’t be tripping over my feet to see him as tears fall from my eyes, but I will respect him.

The bottom line for me is that he is our president and he has my support.  But great presidents have proven themselves by actions in tough times.  Promises are ok, but we demand more now that Obama has assumed the office.  As far as I’m concerned, the honeymoon is over and it’s time to bring that change.

Tags: Barack Obama, President of the United States, Obama change, American president Obama

A Farewell to Arms

I’m going to try to make it a point to write short reviews/recommendations  of the books I read, if only to test my own comprehension.  I tend to forget the easily forgettable.

So while I didn’t like how ‘A Farewell to Arms’ ended, I can’t say it was a forgettable book.  Can anything by Hemingway be forgotten completely?  This was my first ever read of one of his books, and I’ll say that it was somewhere between good and great.

The author’s preface (this was the author of the compilation – not Hemingway), said something about how Ernest Hemingway made American Literature what it is today.  I don’t know enough, nor have I read enough to know exactly what made his style so revolutionary, so you’ll forgive me when I say that that quality of the book went over my head.  That doesn’t mean it wasn’t good – just that I am not familiar enough with styles and times to know the difference between Hemingway and Harper Lee.

If you saw the movie ‘In Love and War’ that came out sometime in the nineties and starred Sandra Bullock and Chris O’Donnell, then you’ve seen the part of Heminway’s life that inspired him to write this book.  It is a novel about love, death, and war in the time of World War I.  I love reading about World Wars and other battles, and I guess there’s also a side of me that likes a good romance, so I was satisfied on both ends with this book.  There’s no in-depth coverage of the war, so those out there who find war facts as boring as dirt will not be forced to endure a battle narrative.  It does provide a good backdrop though.

I won’t give away anything, but I will recommend it.  If anything, just to read one of the most important novels of our time.  I do think you will find a page turner and a worthwhile read.

Oh and if you are interested in buying a good copy of this book along with three other Ernest Heminway classics in one volume, Barnes and Noble sells a very inexpensive series of hardback novel compilations.  They are usually toward the front of the store by the discount books.  It’s nice that they’re sold for such a good price, but it’s also a sad commentary on our reading choices these days.  The trash novels cost twice as much as these four or five in one volumes of hardbound classics.  But that’s another day’s post.

Tags: A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway, classic books, books