I Wish My Daddy Was Alive

Last night, sprawled across my solid wood king-sized bed, I watched history. My youngest sons and daughters joined me. I longed for my daddy.

Senator Barack Obama electrified the audience with what even Pat Buchanan had to admit was the "best and most important political convention speech h had ever heard going back 48 years." Democratic Nominee Obama came out strong and definitely ready to lead. He turned the page of history, he represents what my father and his generation longed for, fought for, and some died for. It was also poignant that this history speech was 45 years to the day that Dr. King marched on Washington and gave his I Have a Dream speech. Senator Obama is the culmination of that dream, and it doesn't end with him.

I truly felt the tide turning and the country on the cusp of real change. It was like my girlfriend told me when 2007 turned to 2008, the word was overturn. Like Obama said, "eight is enough" of fear-mongering, illegal wars, rich over the poor, and big business strangling opportunity. I felt his speech and so did my daughters. I wanted to call my daddy and talk to him about this moment, he would've loved to see this happen.

In the end, I realized that my father and all the ancestors prayed that one day this would happen. They had faith that a new generation would rise up to take the reigns and talk to people about their stories. It is time for the Joshua Generation to carry us forward, and not alone, we must take up the charge and stand ready to do our part. Obama gave a charge to parents to do their part. Yes, the educational system in the inner city and rural areas is not the best, but what about the parent taking the TV out-of-the-bedroom and sitting down with their child to read a book? What about the father being the dad and leading his family? There is much that rests in the hands of families to do to make things better along with a partnership with a progressive government that will tax businesses that take jobs away, that will cut taxes for those in the middle class so they can begin to move forward in life. It is time and a collective populace can change America, it happened with the Baby Boomer generation, now it is time for the Millennium generation to do it!

I wish my daddy was alive to witness that history, but his spirit speaks to me and I can hear him say, "Hey, Taye', that was something wasn't it?" "Yeah, daddy, it was."