proud to be an American

California poppy, Green Gulch Zen Center
Copyright (c) 2007 Wendee Holtcamp

President-Elect Barack Obama launched a new website, Change.gov. On the right side of the screen are the presidential agenda priorities. Just reading these agenda items makes me cry. It’s like WOW this is actually going to become REALITY!!!! Holy cow!!

Agenda
1. Revitalizing the Economy
2. Ending the War in Iraq
3. Providing Health Care for All
4. Protecting America
5. Renewing American Global Leadership

I'm so proud of my country, and so proud to be behind this amazing soon to be President. I am praying and hoping that he is able to accomplish all that he wishes to. It's not going to be an easy road. But words can not express the joy and hope that I feel, that I have not felt about the future of our nation in a while.

I read this from a CNN interview with singer Joan Baez (who I love!). I've blogged about this in the past, about wishing we had more a sense of community and purpose they had back in the Vietnam era, when young people protested the war and came together for a common cause. The need for community is deeply felt in my soul and I think so many people don't realize they need it to, because they never had it, and because they don't know what they're missing. I've begun to feel true community lately and it's an amazing blessing to have good friends here, and to have groups at my church that are real and deep and genuine and raw and honest. Accepting of your flaws but wanting to help you get better. It's not always easy, but it's truly amazing! Anyway it goes (this is right in the middle of the interview)

Baez: I think it's probably a combination of things. I think people are afraid of risk so they'll [only] go so far. But I don't think people have felt the urgency that we felt in the '60s. But it's there. The urgency is there. There's a need for community, but we don't feel it.

CNN: Why is that?

Baez: That we don't feel it? Because we live more and more separately. Kids are walking down the street plugged in [to personal electronics]. The only place there's community really is in the ghetto, where they need each other and they know it. We need each other, and we don't know it.