There are certain moments that are worthy of a blog. Sometimes these moments are personal and limited in their scope to an individual, and in other times, these moments are global, of unlimited scope and broad interest. Today’s moment was a bit of both.
One such moment occurred this morning. I awoke at 5:45 with my TV remote control ready at my side with the satellite channel already set to CNN. I flicked it on, and within fifteen minutes, the world and myself, received the news that the United States of America had elected it first Black president. The myth had been shattered, and conventional expectations, once strongly resisted, crumbled before my very eyes. Its first Black President. It was a huge moment – an event for which I had been eagerly waiting since my interest was gripped by the story of this individual and this American election.
As a young liberal with a recently developed grounding in post-modernist thought, I have come to resist hegemony and monolithic thought in the way that it impacts on my life. As a young South African Jew, I have a strong held belief that many of my peers and the majority of my community have allowed themselves to be trapped by outdated and monolithic ideologies that shape their perceptions of race, religion and the world at large.
About four years ago, when I was more civically involved, I had believed that the time was nearing for us, the youth, to come to our own conclusions about issues significant to our identities. I believed that if we could make these decisions freed from the dominance of our traditional backgrounds, we could play a role in reshaping the world in a way that is inclusive of all groups, but understanding of the key differences that endemic to groups of people the world over.
Well, I’m no Obama…that’s for sure. I had a message – but couldn’t communicate it effectively, and inflicted more damage than good. But what I’ve realized today is that my message wasn’t uniquely mine. Rather, it was a vision shared by people who were tired of the blinkers that traditional ideology had espoused and who craved a new dawn to do things differently. It was a message that came from a frustration that the world did not belong to us and that it was controlled by the older generation.
Why should we let ourselves be governed by fears and insecurities that go back 60 years?
Why should we accept behaviours, ideologies and beliefs that are passed down, as opposed to accepted conscientiously?
For once, the American example is right. It applies to our situation even now, even here, wherever and whenever we are. Obama said, “This is our moment. This is our time.” I disagree with him. Our moment is not only now, but also forever. Our time is not only today, but also tomorrow, the next day and years into the future. Obama’s success has shown that we should never lose doubt in our ability to make an impact, or effect change, or change our minds, or go against the norms, or do anything.
This moment is inspiring, because change is positive and because perceptions are meant to shatter and be reconfigured with every new generation. This moment is meaningful, because the hope and tears that came with that moment was symbolic of a major paradigm shift in eyes of many. This moment was poignant for me because I have refound my belief in the masses, and their ability to make up their own minds without being shackled to ideologies that have been passed down from generation to generation. And most importantly, for once and maybe forever, people can comfortably redefine their beliefs to suit their situations and be accepted, renowned or elected for doing so.
Supersweet.
