So there I was at the Barack Obama Headquarters in Defiance Ohio, looking around to see what was new, when I spotted a t-shirt. Not just any t-shirt, mind you, but a t-shirt that was conceived and brought to fruition by a young father and a college student at Northwest State Community College here in Northwest Ohio.
I watched the idea take shape from its humble beginnings.
Caleb and Rachel are volunteers at Obama's office, and they came to me with a drawing and an idea. The drawing is a bridge suspended between two cliffs. (Drawn on a computer, of course.)
On the left side of the bridge, stuck in the ground on a cliff, is a sign. The sign reads McCain/Palin. On the right side of the bridge, stuck in the ground on a cliff, is another sign, it reads, Bush/Cheney. At the top of the shirt printed over the bridge, are the words "The Real Bridge To Nowhere" and underneath the drawing it says, "Thanks, But No Thanks."
When asked "What do you think of putting this on a t-shirt?" I responded that I thought it was an excellent idea and to go for it.
The shirts arrived Thursday. They turned out great!
These young people were able to accomplish what it would have taken quite a while for "the older generation" to get around to doing. First we would have had to appoint a committee to study the design, then we would most assuredly have to appoint another committee to argue over who would be able to start the process of thinking about doing the t-shirt, then we'd appoint yet another committee to break up the infighting, which would surely and inevitability happen, and then after a year of bickering and backstabbing, we would appoint a committee to study why there were no t-shirts. There was none of that with these young people, they knew what they wanted to do, and they went right out and got it done. I use the t-shirt as an example, but feel free to insert whatever you will into that spot.
The "Real Bridge To Nowhere" shirts are a big hit here in Defiance, and everyone is marveling at how these "kids" did it so quickly. The proceeds are going to a local charity, and they are selling like hotcakes. We can take a lesson from our young people. They are taking it upon themselves to change their corner of their world. More of us should realize in order to change things, you have to participate. These "kids" are not sitting around waiting for someone to change things for them, they're doing it themselves. They are doing it because, it's personal. They desperately need change, even if it starts with a simple t-shirt.
We forget that being young and in college is tougher now than it used to be. Costs have gone through the roof. Most students can't afford not to work, and some have families and children to support. If they are able to find work, it's still not enough to pay the costs associated with college, and as a result some young people are working 2 or 3 jobs while attending night school or classes on weekends. The younger generation understands in a bad economy they are also hurt. They are assuming a larger amount of responsibility and debt at a much younger age than we did, but they persevere because they truly believe that if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything.
Our young men and women are the future of America, and judging from what I'm seeing, they are fully capable. They are bold, optimistic, brassy and are able to accomplish things we only stand around talking about. I'm amazed at their savvy, and I wonder if I was ever like them. I suspect I wasn't. This is a new breed of young person, stronger, wiser and interested in the world around them. I am proud to be associated with these young adults.
More and more college students are volunteering for Obama's campaign, and their enthusiasm is contagious. They are moved and sparred on by this presidential race. I am witness to their interest and participation in this campaign. They are the epitome of teamwork, they know how to get things done. The depth of their knowledge of Barack Obama is astounding.
We can rest assured that the young adults of America will have the stamina to face the future with stoic grace and intelligence. They are confident, willing and unafraid, and a t-shirt helped convince me.