I was seventeen when JFK was elected in 1959, but was, like so many other young people at the time, inspired by him, and motivated to get involved with politics - a subject that had previously been a bottomless pit of boredom to me, thanks to the near veneration of Eisenhower and Nixon by my parents and other members of the commune in which I was raised and came of age in the 1950s. To me, "Ike & Dick" were a couple of old fogies who represented everything that was unfathomable to me about why adults got so revved up about politics. JFK, on the other hand, was young, brilliant, motivating, inspiring, and everything else that lit my youthful and innocent fires about the the power of politics, and made me realize there was a whole new world of fascinating and challenging ideals and possibilities to be explored and experienced. Heady stuff, it was, and JFK hooked me on doing good things, and the possibility that I could "make a difference". Ah, the fire of youth!! It's been forty-seven years since a politician has managed to even remotely inspire me like JFK did, but Barack Obama succeeded in lighting a fire under my 60-something butt that re-kindled the fire JKF lit those many years ago, and I can truly relate to the enthusiasm of today's young people over Obama. But, more than that, as someone who was very active in the the Civil Rights movement of the 60s, I am literally reeling over the fact that our President-Elect is a Black man. It's something I never thought I'd live to see, and that realization practically knocks my socks off every time I think about it. My friend, Ricë, brought it all home to me today when she posted this on her website. It doesn't take much, sometimes, to turn me into an emotional basket case, and this really did it. Ricë also turned me on to this feel-good tune. Hoo, boy!! Makes me feel like dancin', like dancin', like dancin'. Thanks, Ricë!
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