welcoming our new president: cross-country train pt. 2

late last night, somewhere in north dakota, i had a long conversation with the porter reggie. it started by him asking me where i was going, and i replied "to DC to welcome our new president". he gave me a broad smile and said "i grew up in chicago, used to ride my bike past the house where the obamas live now. this inauguration means so much to me in so many ways." we were off and running.

we talked for quite some time into the nite, along a wide range of topics. when we felt drowsy he would pause and open one of the window hatches to look outside, as a blast of refreshing frozen air would light up our senses. he told a story of being on the train one night during the worst blizzard of the season, and how the train kept pushing on, didn't skip a beat, with a total whiteout outside that same window. planes, cars, and buses were all at a standstill, but his train kept right on trudging across the countryside. he said it made him proud to be part of something so beautiful and simple.

then we got on the subject of the future. in his spare hours in his cabin, reggie has been writing long essays and creating charts and graphs for a "rail renaissance" in america. he dreams of a time when rail (including high speed rail) is clean, ubiquitous, efficient, safe, accessible to all and a core part of america's transportation system. like france's TGV but everywhere. he has been preparing for months now, and has a presentation scheduled with some amtrak executives in chicago soon. he knows that this is his part to play in a new america, and he credits obama's story of coming from nothing to now being president with giving him the extra courage to fight for his own dream. "if he can do that, i can do anything too. and nothing is going to stop me at this point."

and i explain how i have felt much the same recently, and how this type of conversation keeps getting repeated. i am simply no longer going to keep doing the things i don't want to do in my life. i will relentlessly pursue my dreams, knowing that i am only limited by my courage and imagination. i will spend my energy on real relationships of depth and honesty with people. i will work hard, but retain a commitment to fun along the journey. i feel like a sleeping dragon is awakening within many of us, and just in time because the problems we face are unprecedented. and our dreams are not idle fantasies, they are grounded and attainable, accompanied by a personal fierceness that says "this is OUR time!" time to roll up our sleeves and do what each of us--ordinary humans--came here (this planet, this time) to do.