A.Gylity

What it's Like to Be a Mets Fan

2009-08-17T00:10:00.003-04:00

So I'm on my way home from Albany as I think to myself, "wow I really haven't blogged in ages. I don't deserve to be followed." So what better time than now to write my first entry in a while.

What's it like to be a Mets fan? Well, imagine an oyster. And every so often this oyster opens its shell to reveal a bright and promising pearl. The possibility of obtaining this pearl sets off a whirlwind of emotions. The 'what ifs' mixed with the 'could bes'. The emotions trigger the imagination, and the imagination triggers hope. But it just so happens that to grab this pearl is not as simple as good timing. Every time you reach for it, your fingertips getting close to the inside of the oyster, it SNAPS shut! Sometimes the outer ridge even scrapes or pricks your fingers, and its often painful. But you keep going back anyway, because the prospect that is that pearl shines oh so bright.

But then you work up enough courage and frustration to make one indefensible attempt at reaching that pearl. You time it perfectly, you get your fingers inside the oyster, but when you arrive at where that pearl should be, the shell violently shuts on your hand and the pearl is nowhere to be found. You are left with broken fingers, and a broken morale. You, like the majority of the 2009 New York Mets roster have landed on the DL.

I felt the need to post this after the latest victim, and face of the Mets franchise, David Wright was hit in the head by a fastball from Giants' pitcher Matt Cain. As Wright laid face down on the dirt, hardly moving, it was the perfect encapsulation of the 2009 Mets season. Talent, skill, possibilities, all blind sided and send to the ground. Possibilities which appeared more and more as illusions.

It's beyond coincidence at this point. Now, all 4 of the Mets core positional players (Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Delgado) are on the DL together. Add in about 13 other players who have spent time on that special list. A season that, at its start seemed promising, as Sports Illustrated picked (and cursed) the Mets as their choice as champions of 2009, became more and more of a disaster.

So this is not a time for me, or other Mets fans, to lament any longer. No, this is a time to applaud yourself for being a foolish, but true die hard fan, and sitting through a real life nightmare lasting about 6 months. Pat yourself on the back Mets fans, the season is nearing its end and you have survived one of the most ridiculous, absurd, and after a while strangely predictable seasons to date. This is also a good luck to the fans of all other teams (except Phillies fans), get that ring. There's always next year Mets fans, hang around. I hear 2010 calls for an infirmary addition to Citi Field where the Mo's Zone currently resides.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

New Video - Cannon Instrumental

2009-05-07T14:22:00.002-04:00

I apologize for not posting much recently. I've been busy in other areas, such as writing, distributing, networking, and recording tracks such as this phone. Thanks to Paul for helping with with the video.

Never Judge a Book By Its Cover...

2009-04-16T00:19:00.001-04:00

I tweeted and shared this yesterday but I figure I should add it to the blog as well, if you have yet to see this, prepare for a surprise...

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent

A.Gyle's 2009 MLB Predictions

2009-04-04T22:15:00.004-04:00

Alright, so, I love baseball, you love baseball (well, you should), we all love baseball. The 2009 MLB season begins tomorrow night, so it's time for my predictions. I will take you through who will win each division and wild card, the major individual awards, and then I will give you 10 random/semi-haughty predictions for 2009. Here we go:

AL East: Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Minnesota Twins
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays (This was a ridiculously hard decision, I apologize, Yankee fans, see prediction #10)

AL Champion: Boston Red Sox

AL MVP: Mark Teixeira
AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
AL ROY: David Price

NL East: New York Mets
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies

NL Champion: New York Mets

NL MVP: Carlos Beltran
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
NL ROY: Cameron Maybin

World Series: Mets over Red Sox in 7 games*

* While my predictions may seem biased, I want to note that 2006 was the last year I actually felt the Mets would go all the way (they lost in 7 to the Cardinals in the NLCS). I felt they would win their division the past 2 seasons, and they were on pace to do so before choking it away. With their remade bullpen and despite the support of Sports Illustrated, I truly feel this is the year. Sue me.

10 Random/Semi-Haughty Predictions:

1. Daniel Murphy will hit .315 with 22HR 105 RBI along with 45 doubles and 15 SB... and would have ran away with the NL ROY had he had 2 less at bats last season.

2. The first no hitter in Mets history will be thrown by either Johan Santana or Mike Pelfrey now that Shea Stadium no longer stands.

3. Alex Rodriguez will come back in May and still manage to hit 40 HR on the season.

4. David Price, once called up and given the ball will post an ERA under 2.75 and strike out 11 per 9 IP en route to winning the ROY.

5. C.C. Sabathia will be a work horse, and while still managing to post 18 wins will see his ERA raise a point back up to 3.70... A.J. Burnett will not surpass 25 starts.

6. Miguel Cabrera will see an AL sophomore season that looks like .325 46HR 128RBI and would have easily won the MVP had the Tigers played better baseball.

7. The San Francisco Giants will be in the running to win the NL West up until the last week of the season.

8. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves will battle for the NL Wild Card up until the final weekend of the regular season.

9. Pedro Martinez will sign with a team by May 15th after an injury to a significant SP.

10. The Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees will all post over 92 wins and see the race of 3 teams for 2 playoff spots come down to at least one playoff game.

Bonus: There will be no teams with 100+ wins.

Daily Dose of Lyricism 4/4/09

2009-04-04T02:40:00.002-04:00

Not much to say. Discovered this one in a friend's facebook status. Just sensational lyrics, love a song that makes you wonder. Hope you like it.

Where's the 'Madness' in March Madness?

2009-03-28T02:13:00.002-04:00

Coming in a year where there seems to be a lot less drama than is to be expected from the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (with the elite 8 being comprised of all 4 #1 seeds, 2 #2s, and 2 #3s), I beg the answer to the question, where is the 'madness' in March Madness? Your boy has the solution.

I don't know how many of you used to watch Nickelodeon GUTS back in the day. But if you didn't you should have, especially since you had years of syndication to catch it. The show provided us with 3 kids around the age of 13 who would dress up in outrageous athletic gear of three feuding colors (Blue, Red, and Purple) and compete against one another in activities that were even more outrageous than their attire and equipment. These kids would paddle across swimming pools while balancing on boogie boards, smash big wheels into Styrofoam stones, and eventually climb a plague filled mountain in hopes of earning a piece of it. What an adventure.

Now imagine UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, UNC's Tyler Hansbrough, and Pittsburgh's Dejuan Blair dressed in blue, red, and purple bike shorts with harnesses strapped to each of them. Imagine a basketball hoop placed in the middle of a room, or rather a tee with a basketball placed on top of it 25 feet in the air. Strap bungee chords to their harnesses, give them a minute and a half and see which one of them can grab the most basketballs off of the tee. Now that's madness. Set up three hoops thirty feet high and see who could slam home the most basketballs. Set up one hoop in the middle and have one team defend it for the first half and switch off for the second half. Best score wins.

Let's use our imaginations, let's use our memories. Let's infuse some true 'madness'. The GUTS way.

Sick of Being Sick... The Pledge

2009-03-25T23:07:00.003-04:00

So I've been out of commission for a while, most recently do to illness... I apologize, and I will really try and post more often now.

Writing. To write. I trip over my left shoelace, my arms dangling loosely by my sides. It's the first time I've left my house in 5 treacherous days. I notice a spiraling jet stream of an airplane fading into the distance. Things haven't changed. I notice the distinct smell of cherry Italian ices. You know, not Marino's, not that commercial kind, but the one they scoop into those small, creased, and eventually soggy white paper cups at every local pizza place in Queens. The sounds of different birds are more noticeable to me than the sounds of the traffic. Maybe things have changed. 4 days can seem like an eternity, especially when you're doing nothing, and feel like you're deteriorating. I could have sworn I was going to walk out of my house today and President Obama's first term would be over. Thankfully it wasn't, thankfully I'm still only 22 years old, and thankfully it looks like I'm regaining my health (and soon enough the weight I lost). But time wasted, whether avoidable or not, is nothing less than frustrating, and I might be wasting too much of it. So right here, right now, is my pledge, to myself and to those reading, and I invite you to take part in it as well... for you, so read it with me:

I pledge... from this point on in my life, to step up my game, to take in what may seem simple, but is in actuality more mosaic than my first glance gives it credit for. I pledge to take to take every minute I am given and use it to my full advantage towards my success, my accomplishments, my relationships, and my dreams. I pledge, to strive towards my happiness, because I realize it's out there waiting for me to find it.

Verbal Freedom From the Shackles of Masculinity?

2009-03-05T14:11:00.006-05:00

American Idol is one of my favorite TV shows... "no homo." Your my best bud, and I really miss you, dude... "no homo." Those mantyhose actually are quite comfortable... "no homo." Oh, how two simple words have provided the current generation of heterosexual, or supposed heterosexual males the freedoms to act sensitive, which has been labeled as a more feminine emotion through the years.

As straight men we are supposed to chop down trees while chugging beers and checking out that impressive rack with our peripherals. We don't have feelings. Instead, we grunt and watch sports. Our passion only leaks out when our teams prevail or during sex. Wait, so society is changing? Images and standards are evolving? Funny how that all works.

But this isn't a rant on a graceful phrase. No, I use it here and there. I feel it is harmless and do not mean it to be offensive in any manner. I'm quite the liberal person and have no issues with homosexuality. Some people use the phrase as a defense, others as a mere tag line. But I like to look at the issue in a more unorthodox manner. Like I mentioned, society is changing. It's becoming more "acceptable" for straight guys to actually act somewhat emotional. Those that use "no homo" as a defense mechanism are resisters to this change, like Cam'ron, who in the video below feels that simply saying certain things can determine your sexual orientation. In contrast Jadakiss' words "Put it out, let the streets talk no promo, a real man shouldn't have to say no homo," are much more logical. A dude who is comfortable with himself and confident with his sexuality should not have to clarify his statements with the risk that they might make him appear to be homosexual. A man who says "no homo" in seriousness in a attempt to "erase the 'gayness'" of his words or to reaffirm his sexual orientation, may just have some issues that lie a bit deeper.

My final thoughts on the topic: Can you use "no homo" with your friends without being offensive? Sure, when used lightly and the intent behind it is clearly innocent... "JT is a pretty cool dude, he's got style... no homo." Because clearly, straight men can't be complimentary of other men. (rolls eyes) Should it be overused and meant to 'defend' from acting too sensitive because sensitivity is obviously aligned with homosexuality? No. That's just ignorance. In the grand scheme, it's just the continuous flow of urban speech colliding with the positive cultural/social evolution of society.

I'm off to go do some 'homo' things now... "no homo."

Cam'Ron on Hot 97

Super Bowl Predictions Follow Up

2009-02-02T01:33:00.002-05:00

Wow, come on now, I was pretty spot on with my predictions. I mean, I got the score spot on, just flipped the teams around. Fitzgerald, Boldin, and even Warner's numbers were pretty damn close to the actual ones. And had Santonio Holmes not played deity on that last drive, the Cardinals win and Warner has a solid chance of nabbing his 2nd Super Bowl MVP. Great game, though the officiating was atrocious and the fact that they didn't at least review that last play of the game is just mind-boggling. Congrats to the Steelers, and also to the Cardinals for a helluva season.

Quick Super Bowl Predictions

2009-02-01T01:06:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to put up a few predictions before the big game. It seems people are still doubting Arizona, but from the evidence of recent years I won't. The team that catches that fire at the right time just finds a way to keep it burning until the end. Pittsburgh has been solid all season long, and their defense is a beast, but can their offense put up some points against the Cardinals' improved D? So here goes nothing:

Pittsburgh 23
Arizona 27

MVP: Kurt Warner 287 yards 2TD 2INT
Larry Fitzgerald: 8 receptions, 87 yards 1 TD
Anquan Boldin: 9 receptions 98 yards

Taking the Next Step

2009-01-26T21:15:00.003-05:00

We often have dreams or goals, images of how we would like our lives to look like down the road. But it is often difficult to design or map out just how we will get there. We forget the life, even though its much more grand in scale, is like any other project we have set out to complete in the past. It is impossible to accomplish everything at once. We can't close our eyes, snap our fingers, and when we open them be swimming in our infinity pool in the back of our Malibu mansion (yes, that is a goal of mine, don't judge). We must take life step by step while weighing the significance of the present over that of the past and future.

The future is merely an image in our heads of what may or may not occur. It doesn't exist until we arrive there. The only time that is real is now. Sure, it's ok to set goals, and even to create some sort of outline on how to achieve them... step by step. Goals and dreams are important, and if we choose to go after them, which I hope you will, we must attack them methodically.

I have begun to make moves, take chances, and am anxious and excited to see where they end up. That is what life is about, a multitude of chances inside one majestic chance. We can't get everything we want at once. Sure, you can stumble upon a winning lottery ticket that banks you millions of millions. But at the end up the day you will still want for something, whether it be of monetary value or not that you cannot get right away. That's human nature, for us to want something we don't already have, a lot of which we don't really need. But happiness is achieved when we apply our common sense and proficiencies towards our goals, pace ourselves, and persevere until we achieve them. Don't let criticism fall on deaf ears, but also don't let it harm your desire. Allow it to force you to fight that much harder and improve that much more.

A Nation's Discovery of Patriotism: What Is It?

2009-01-19T16:24:00.005-05:00

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge

What is patriotism? Have many of us experienced it? Do we know what it truly is? Especially those that are considered minorities in this country, was there ever a real feeling of the red, white, and blue? The dictionary definition of patriotism, is the 'love or devotion to one's country.' But have we ever been in love with or devoted to the United States of America? Maybe it was hard to be devoted to this nation throughout some of its choices. Often times, history seems marked more sternly by bruises and mistakes than by progress. Like a young child stung by its past experience and by pattern, perhaps the people of this nation needed a change in this pattern to finally honor such a word, really, such a service, than patriotism is.

Throughout my life the answer to the questions "Where are you from?" or "What is your background?" has always been a foreign country, often times a multitude of foreign countries. Being a 3rd generation American citizen on one side, and 2nd generation on the other side, I would fumble with the answer. I always wanted to say, "Hey, I'm American," but no one was ever satisfied with that response. Maybe now they will be. Sure, the US is a country that is defined by its diversity, but shouldn't that be a blessing or seen as a positive characteristic rather than a confusing factor in understanding our past? But, maybe, until now, a country that has fought to honor people of all backgrounds hadn't really started to achieve its goals. Maybe now, people of all colors and religions can feel love and devotion for this country. Maybe now we can realize that President-elect Obama is right in saying we all have to be a part of change. We all have to show our patriotism and display our love and devotion to this country, to this country where yeah, anything is possible. So let's all do our small part, let's all be proud of the part we already put forth. And maybe, the next time someone asks you what you are, maybe one of the first replies out of your mouth will proudly be, "I am American."

And how do we change the world you ask? In the words of the great Morgan Freeman, "One random act of kindness at a time."

The Bye Week Means Nothing

2009-01-11T16:40:00.003-05:00

Another NFL postseason, another year proving that in the modern day league, the first round bye is not a privilege, but just hinders the team's momentum, builds rust, and makes the team look unprepared and ultimately foolish come game day. Assuming the Steelers don't win the Super Bowl, it will now be 4 straight seasons where a 1 or 2 seed will not win the big game. And as of now in this years playoffs, bye week teams are an astounding 0 for 3, and all 3 have looked just downright sloppy.

I am sick to my stomach with the way the Giants offense played in this game, and I think a lot of it rests on rust and game plan. What was the game plan really? Can anyone tell me, because I am still baffled. Pound the ball, be rather successful in the run game, but at the crucial points and downs, abandon the run and go with clogged up pass plays? On 4th downs and short, not have a clue on how to pick up those inches? And welcome back Eli Manning of old. Not the guy who stormed through last year's playoffs, was a rock in the Super Bowl, and quietly led the Giants through a successful 2008 season. No this was the guy we used to know. The guy who threw off his back foot, misread coverages, and missed key throws in key situations. He looked rattled, he looked inexperienced, he looked rusty to say the least. With two weeks a team should be ready right? They should have an extensive, well thought out game plan correct? Everyone should be healthy and ready to roll. No. I don't know exactly why, but this bye week did nothing to help the Giants. It slowed them down, made them look confused, and put way too much pressure on the defense, that might I say played their hearts out most of the game. Thank you Steve Spagnuolo, as I assume, this will be our last game as the Giants' defensive coordinator, you deserve a head coaching gig.

Another sport, another one of my teams losing out to a Philadelphia franchise. This is a blog so I am going to try and keep it clean. But man do I dislike that city. Their fans, their players, their teams. I am nauseated.

So is the bye week really a prize? Should teams really work their asses off all season to earn one? I say no. In the modern day NFL the bye week means nothing, it might even do more bad than good. As the teams without that extra week keep on rolling, the teams who smiled after earning a playoff privilege, were embarrassed in front of their home crowds.

My Poetry: A Very Quick Comparison Through the Years

2008-12-22T20:36:00.003-05:00

I was just looking through some of my files after doing some writing, some of which I'm sure I lost through changing computers and such. I found a few poems I had written in the past and was interested to see how and if my writing has changed or grown over time. I haven't drawn any conclusions yet, except for that my love for writing is and always has been eternal.

So here is a poem I wrote several years ago:

Her Wings

Her wings swimmingly flap as she swerves through the leaves,
Soaring through thick clouds, breeze shifting through her sleeves.
A smile can be seen from miles below,
For her scent, her aspirations are more than aglow.
One grin illuminates from the city’s skyline,
Traced by his hairline and combined with the divine.
He realizes her bliss, he encapsulates her desire,
She rises higher and higher, more than he can admire.
He scratches his temple and extends his right hand,
Her eyes glisten and understand as though it were planned.
The smile becomes a wave, and the wave becomes a truth,
Embellished with belief and running swiftly with youth.

And here is one I wrote some time last week:

No Longer Am I My Mind

I peer into my past through a timeless looking glass,
And my past looks back at me with eyes so sharp and proud.
Left my eyes to wander, to guess who was first and last,
Lost where I belong, the novel, the present, the now.

I gaze into the dark, asking questions far from stark,
A leash around my neck, so long, I have lost control.
Cut me from these burdens, and allow my life to start,
I wish upon my freedom, I paid it all in toll.

I was taught wrong all along, my mind would lead me right,
It would lean upon the future, find it oh so bright.
Tricked, deceived, bluffed, and I have long had more than enough,
Tear me from these trenches, my self so absent and stuck.

You held me as a prisoner, bars surround my truth,
Hands choking me so, with it my soul so cold and mute.
No longer will I trust you, struck clouds against my spine,
For now I am I am, no longer am I my mind.

Well, I don't know if I meant to accomplish much with this post, lol. I hope you enjoy these excerpts from my ongoing anthology though. And of course, analyze them if you wish.

If "Life Is a Song," Then I Hope to Add to Its Lyrics

2008-12-15T02:04:00.000-05:00

I am moved by art. And I am not ashamed to say it. Whether it be a song, a poem, a movie, a book, a painting, a dance, or even a TV show, any form of art has the potential to stimulate and even manipulate my mind. This is how I know that my purpose is to one day be able to move others. Whether it be to cry, to love, to yell, or merely just to talk, in the end I want to affect others in a positive way.

I would have to say (and this may be fairly obvious to some who will read this), that my favorite form of art is music. I listen to music every single day, of all different genres. Above all, I listen to music for the lyrics, I value the writing more than any other aspect of the song because I consider myself to be a lyricist, a writer. Not many songs today can convey a message without lyrics like those of great composers such as Mozart or Beethoven. And at times, it seems that a good lyric can be hard to come by. I am thankful that I have become more and more eclectic through the years. And while I still consider hip-hop to be my favorite genre, my ears have no limits.

Today, though I had "heard" the song once before, genuinely "listened" to an absolutely amazing song for the first time. "Life Is a Song," by Patrick Park has, without a doubt some of the most remarkable lyrics I have ever listened to in my life, and I urge you with every morsel of my soul to listen to it as well. It's one of those songs, you hear, but don't realize its significance until your about halfway in. So to make sure, you replay it once, twice, three times... and the more and more you replay it the more and more your mind expands and wonders, the more and more it's difficult to fathom how your emotions can be influenced. You can't get enough of the song, and you're so grateful you discovered it you don't want to let it go and risk losing it to memory.

If ever I felt that a song found me, and not the other way around, this was that time. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm in a point in my life where I feel stuck. I've been allowing life to dictate where I may end up, rather than dictating where I will send my life. And there is no greater fear than fear itself. And so I listened to the hook:

"Oh, it's time to let go of everything we used to know
Ideas that strengthen who we've been
It's time to cut ties that won't ever free our minds
From the chains and shackles that they're in."

To live in the past is to prevent the fortunes of the future, whether they may be good or bad. It's our job to embrace them, it's our duty to deal with them, it's our obligation to roll with them, adjust, and lead ourselves down the path we wish to go. I have been a victim of my own mind, a victim of time. Rather than adding to the map I started to graph when I couldn't even walk, I have placed myself on one of its islands that may have brought me happiness at one time or another in my history. I have left myself stranded, and it's time I found a way to embark on new voyages. It's time I allowed myself to the chance to succeed, and even to fail.

It is a strength for a song, or any piece of art for that matter to to leave those who experience it thinking. The final verse of "Life's Song" contains one of the heaviest last lines I have ever had the privilege to hear:

"Well life is a dream 'cause we're all walking in our sleep
You could see us stand in lines like we're dead upon our feet
And we build our house of cards and then we wait for it to fall
Always forget how strange it is just to be alive at all."

How true is this? And at the same time, how often do we stop to think something as simple as that line reads? I'm far from religious, and I'm not going to say that discovering this song today was some for of divine coincidence or intervention, but at the same time, I'm also not going to throw out any possibility, no matter how extreme. You may have heard it now and again, you run into someone who says something like, "That book changed my life." I hope to one day say that this song actually changed mine. I am thankful that I was able to listen to it at a time when I needed to listen to it most. Because honestly, the message of this song is what I had always preached would be my life before I found myself in this rut. It's effortless and cowardly to sit around focusing more on the past then the present and paving way to the possibilities of the future. Sure, we have learned and experienced a lot throughout our lives. But, living in fear that the future may not live up to the past only guarantees exactly that to happen. If only we stopped every once in a while, and thought about "how strange it is just to be alive at all," then maybe we could make sure never to allow boundaries to compromise our lives.

I am moved by art. And I am not ashamed to say it. And if truly, "Life Is a Song," I hope one day, I too can add to its lyrics.

Living in the Midst of History - American Pride

2008-11-05T14:43:00.000-05:00

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King Jr.

The aforementioned quote was spoken during his renowned "I have a dream..." speech. Well, Dr. King, is it safe to say that at least this part of your dream has actually come true, merely 45 years later? Three of your children are still living today, and have worked as civil rights activists throughout their adult lives. Just like you, Dr. King. We've been witnessing the effects of your efforts for decades, but last night we witnessed an event many of us never thought we'd see during our lifetimes.

Last evening, Illinois senator Barack Obama, was elected as the next president of United States of America. It still amazes me that I can write those words. It still amazes me to listen to his words. Senator Obama is an African-American, technically, he is biracial. And I point that out because the cynics look to anything as minuscule as that to downplay the huge significance of this accomplishment. Either way, he is a man of color. A man of color living in a country still filled with people that have difficulty looking past the color of one's skin. Unfortunately for those people, this man is unique, a once in a generation figure. Whether he succeeds as President of the United States is yet to be seen, but the way in which he brought a country together with his contagious aspirations for hope will put a smile on my face for years to come.

Obama was able to gain votes and the eventual electoral in states previous Democrats, white candidates, were unable to achieve. Florida and Ohio, the two states that have haunted the Democratic candidates in the past two elections, Obama won. He dipped his toes into the South, to achieve the votes from Virginia and is currently leading in North Carolina. He is the first Democratic candidate to win Indiana since 1964. This election was about more than Democrats vs. Republicans. It was about more than Liberals vs. Conservatives. And this was a consistent message put forth by Barack Obama. This election was about regaining American pride. This election was about realizing the hole this country has dug itself into, and pointing towards the best man or woman to pick us up out of that hole. Barack Obama was that man.

Four years ago, many of us witnessed Obama for the first time. It was one of those speeches where if you were walking past the television at the time, or had your attention focused elsewhere, before long, you found yourself only concentrating on him. There is no question, that Obama is a great orator. But, his words are not just those, words, they are not empty. Everything that comes out of his mouth you get the feeling that he truly believes. When he speaks, he makes YOU believe, he makes YOU have hope. When he announced his candidacy for President, he was placed towards the bottom of a pool of Democratic candidates such as Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. But he began to speak, spread his message, put together a campaign like no other seen before, using the Internet as significant tool. And following the Iowa caucus, the nation was fully aware of Barack Obama.

From there, he took off, and soon enough even Senator Clinton had to acknowledge that the nation (at least the Democrats at that point) was beginning to put its faith behind Senator Obama and not her. A nation, at a loss for hope and American pride, with the desire to once again be looked as a beacon and an example for other nations throughout the world found its leader in Obama. Obama turned this election into the most important of our generation. He awakened new groups of voters, sending people flocking from their homes to poll sites, that would result in him achieving more votes than any Democratic candidate before him, and the highest percentage of the popular vote by a Democrat since LBJ in 1964.

Last night, a nation haunted by a past of discrimination, prejudice, and near-sightedness, was able to put it all to the side. Last night, we witnessed an event like those we would read in our history textbooks throughout our years in school. Our children and grandchildren will read a chapter about this time in history, and we will be able to tell them about it. We will tell them where we were, what we saw, and how we felt. We can only join in now, grab on to this aura of hope as if it were an outreached hand in the midst of chaos. We can only hope that President Elect Obama succeeds during his time as President and comes through on his promises and returns dignity to this nation. But until then, it is most important to appreciate the significance of what just occurred, appreciate its rarity and what seemed impossible as recently as a year or two ago. As thousands of people flooded Chicago, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Times Square, a sense of American Pride was restored. The sentiment that living in this country, and being a citizen here, absolutely anything could be achieved and absolutely anyone of any background could achieve it. That "American Dream" that became more of a rhetoric than a reality in the recent past was redefined. So I ask you, even if you supported John McCain, are a Republican, or the country's most extreme conservative, appreciate this for what it is. The ability of a people to break barriers and truly unite behind a man not based on the color of his skin, but as Dr. King dreamt, the content of his character.

I wish you would have been here to see this with us. But, that wasn't your dream was it? It was for your children, and for us, to be here to confirm the strength of your efforts and those of others alongside you. So here we are, when a nation got behind a man of color, realizing that the physical description of a man will never tell us who he truly is or what he is capable of. We have instilled our faith in him, and have voted him into the most powerful position in the entire country. Here we are, when the Obama creed of "Yes we can," is no longer a suggestion, but a fact, a truth, and an achievement. "Yes we did."

So Dr. King, just checking in, may our dreams only get greater from here on out.

(By the way, I put together a song prior to the election, "Hope" featuring Obama, I encourage you to check it out.)