Dear President Elect Barack Obama,

Last night i had a dream i was on a train.  i came upon you, separated from the group you were traveling with, and you asked me if i knew where they went.  i didn’t, but i offered my help in searching and we walked the empty train together for hours.  we eventually ended up somewhere - i don’t know where exactly it was, as is the case with most of my dreams- but there were people there and they started to help look too.

i think i must have woken up shortly after this part of the dream, because i can’t remember what happened next.  i know we never found your entourage, but i don’t think that was a problem because we were having such a great time in the process of looking together.  (cheesy, i know)

i woke up with one thought in my head.  one word really.  service.  such a simple word.  a simple word with great depth.  a simple word i have never given much thought to, except to describe the multiple jobs I’ve had slinging coffee, and in reference to the brave men and women who serve in the military.  a simple word that carries so much promise and future for our country.  a word that you have made to mean so much more to me than i ever thought possible.

yesterday was a very emotional day for me, and from what i gather from the world around me, it was a very emotional day for just about everyone else too.  part of it was seeing you elected and what it means, President Elect Obama, but another part was a eagerness to get started on the path to repair.  I WANT TO HELP.  i want to be a part of this country like i NEVER have before.   the last 8 years has all but decimated my faith in a government for the people, by the people, but seeing you elected has made me believe that we, as a nation, can fix what has been broken and the system isn’t dead yet.

President Elect Obama, i am due to graduate from college in a month and a half.  i have no job prospects and a small child at home.  i have mountains of debt, a husband that works too hard in a dangerous job, and $150,000 loss in equity on my house.   i have animals that i can’t take to the vet because we don’t have the money.  i have 1 pair of pants that don’t have holes in them because i have to buy my son clothes and food, and i can’t afford to shop for myself.  i drive 2 1/2 hours a day so that i can get an education and the gas is killing us.  i literally lie awake at night worrying that we won’t be able to stop global warming in time and i mourn the loss of the hundreds of species that die out every day.  i worry about how much college will cost for my son.  i even have to worry about the toys that i give him to play with.  Barack (can i call you that?  typing out President Elect Obama makes me lose my train of thought)  Barack, my story is not unique, as you well know.  so many of Americans are losing so much more than me, and i worry about them too.

but an interesting thing is going on despite all of this.  people have hope.

i met a man today at a coffee shop.  i started up a conversation about the books he had on his table and the conversation meandered until we were talking about our lives.  he mentioned how he went through a period where he was beyond hope.  i looked at him and said, “you know, funny thing the mind is.  it occurs to me that for the last 2 days, the words “beyond hope” don’t seem to make much sense to me.  i can’t seem to comprehend it.”  we both smiled and agreed, the WORLD has become a more hopeful place the last few days.

so, Barack, i am ready to get to work.  i am ready to serve my country, my community.  but i don’t know where to start.  i have heard this sentiment echoed on 3 or 4 different NPR shows today.  people are ready!  people are inspired!  we are vested in this country and we believe in you.  but some of us don’t know where to start.   so what i am asking of you is to give us direction.  continue this momentum that you have created and show us the path that we must take.  give people like me a starting point.  we look to you for leadership.

thank you, President Elect Barack Obama, for giving me hope again.

love,

Andromeda

ps- black lab/border collie mix makes for a FANTASTIC family dog.  i speak from experience.