It all started back in the summer of 2008. I happened to be in Berkeley (California) at the time of one of the most influential presidential campaigns in US history: the famous “Yes, we can” that brought change to America in the form of a determined, young fellow named Barack. Barack Obama, the leader a whole generation -mine- had so long been waiting for. His electric campaign lighted up our dormant dreams of hope and got many of us involved in politics, and much more, for the very first time. The contagious energy of UC Berkeley’s liberal campus did the rest and something incredibly special ignited in me. Something I didn’t know at the time, but that was gonna steer the rest of my life toward a goal much greater than myself. A goal, and its relentless pursuit, that intertwined my life and Barack’s forever.
A few months and career-defining decisions down the road, another close encounter occurred: on January 20th 2009, my birthday, Barack took office, amid an unprecedented march around the National Mall, only seen in the times of Malcom X and Abraham Lincoln. On that same day, I, together with some good old friends, started an intrepid entrepreneurial journey, seeking to make of my passion -Earth’s preservation- my way of life -a viable and green business. Filled with courage and flair we went at it, hearts wide open, Barack and I.
Change didn’t come easy nonetheless. It came hard indeed, very hard. Stern opposition in the House of Representatives, tough losses in the midterms, falling popularity … on Barack’s side. Partners abandoning the venture at the first hurdles, elusive funding moving away from our pockets, dwindling trust from family, personal sacrifices … on mine.
But on we kept going, as if driven by an almighty inner force, as if knowing that, in the end, good always prevails. Learning and improving with each mistake. Getting back up, stronger, each and every time. Until the storm passed and the sun shone once more. On November 7th 2012, Barack hugged Michelle after a tense victory on his second and last race to the White House. “4 more years” read the most re-tweeted tweet in history. 4 more years to keep going forward, to keep consolidating the Health Care reform, combatting Climate Change. I was in Tunisia, train, on that particular time, training (and being trained) the. W. God I was turned on that day.
But hardness hit again, and again. I remember being asked by a friend “why do you believe in this guy if he is helpless and can bring about the promised change”, to which I firmly replied: “It’s not about what the can or cannot accomplish but what I can accomplish thanks to the motivation he has instilled in me, and what you can accomplish as I pass you those vibes”.
I’ve got a dream me too: I want to shake Barack’s hand while in office. You have been an inspiration to me and this will be my way of saying “Thank you”.