My mother told me once that one of the greatest things about America was that anyone could become President here. But it was not until President Kennedy died that I decided I wanted to be that, too, before I died.
The day President Kennedy died, my elementary school teacher set aside time in class to talk about him and what he did, and we had a moment of silence. I thought to myself, President Kennedy must be a very important person. I want to be President someday!
Of course, when you grow up, things change, and you realize things aren’t exactly like you thought they were. I found I was probably not well-suited for some jobs I once thought I wanted, and that as far as jobs were concerned, they might not be the kind of job most people would want, either.
The requirements for the job of President are such that I no longer see it possible for an average person to be President. In my way of thinking, that is a real shame, because I think the people who live and work closest to the problems in this country may often be the ones who are able to come up with the best solutions: we’re usually the most desperate for real answers, and as they say, necessity is the mother of invention!
For the last ten or fifteen years, I’ve been thinking about what it would take for the average qualified person in America to become President, and what I would do for America if I were President. As my perspective is often different than that of others, I thought some of it might be value to others as a catalyst for sparking new ways of thinking about government, about what a President should be able to do for the rest of us, and what more we can do for our country.
It’s a fantasy, perhaps, but something that could become reality if enough of us worked together for a common cause. Even if we only did one thing together someday as a result of our collaboration, I think it’s entirely possible that together we could make a big difference: not only for us, but for others, and for whoever truly wants to make a positive difference for someone else.
This blog will give political perspectives and ideas we might try. In the near future I also hope to tap into and make use of others’ perspectives and comments for making our country an even better place. I’d love to hear some of yours!
