History
When I was in the third grade, I was convinced that I wanted to grow up and be the President. Not only was I convinced that I wanted to, I was convinced that I could. As I got older, I learned some of life’s tougher lessons; my 8-year-old self shed her idealism and realized that Washington doesn’t work the way the story is told in elementary school history books.
I spend some time in DC when I was a teenager; I had the benefit of a lot of behind-the-scenes peeks at how the government REALLY works. As I got older, I learned a lot more about how difficult it truly is to bring change to government. I learned that my vote doesn’t necessarily count. I learned that lobbyists have more power with my congressmen than I do. And I honestly believed that change was never going to come.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my little sister. When I was her age (13), I was convinced that one person could make a difference. As I got older and became more jaded, I began to feel like that was the great American lie. I can’t tell you how proud I am that I was so wrong. And I can’t tell you how awesome it is that by the time she’s my age, so much more will have changed.
No matter who you voted for in this election, you cannot deny that history is being made tomorrow. There’s still a rough road ahead for so many, but I am so glad that I get to be a witness to something I honestly never thought I’d live to see.
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