Obama as MY president

Miami

By Alexandra Pixly

(18 years old)

Yesterday I started on writing a blog, but today is not comparable with yesterday. However cheesy it may sound, you can feel Change in the air. Because I am not capable of writing a well constructed and well planned story, I will just give what I wrote down this morning while I was reading the last New York Times available at the wonderful News cafe on Miami Beach (see Maartje's blogs).

Day after the elections. 5 Nov. Slept in my Obama T-shirt. Woke up and only after a while I realized that something was fundamentally different. I felt more peaceful, It (in general) felt more peaceful. I honestly (again not cliche-like or cheesily) have hope and faith in America for the first time in my life. I am actually proud to have Obama as MY president. Being here, in the US, during the Elections has brought me closer to my roots. Today for the first time I feel like I am (becoming) an American, part of this active, lively and transforming country. Also being in Miami, the most multinational and multilingual city I have been in, has fired up a passion in me to learn Spanish and explore my Cuban background and culture (Miami has a very large Hispanic community, especially Cubans).
The extreme joy and relief on the streets last night (and still a bit) was overwhelming and beautiful. People seemed uplifted. I have deep respect for this man who has given this to the people. Obama. I simply believe in his authenticity, however cynical my mind is trying to be. He gives me that strong feeling of universal compassion (almost Buddhistic?) and of, I guess again, hope. Hope from deep down inside near my stomach. It gives me peace. In return I hope sincerely that this extraordinary man can stay close and loyal to himself, his roots and his beliefs.

Perhaps all this sound to emotionally American, but I'm just trying to be honest..