8.28.2008

An old email

Around midnight on 27 July 2004, I sent out a brief email to all in my address book. I’ve never forgotten its message.

Last night I spent two hours using the fantastic search engine google has provided for locating personal computer files. Finally, after scanning a dozen or so CDs holding my computer documents of nine years, I located the old email and wrote a post around it.

Then, I got an error message: “run-time error,” which zapped the post.

I must preface what follows by explaining that I am totally dependent on Microsoft Word. I can see nothing in my AOL inbox and cannot read emails or even determine who they are from until I copy and paste them into Microsoft Word where the messages open up to me in 18-point bold font, white on a black background. The screen before me is now the only thing on God’s green earth I can see. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy this medium so much.

I opened up a new Microsoft Word file to begin again only to be met with a message box I couldn’t read, headed “File Recovery Something Or Other.” I am the Pearl Pureheart of freaking computer situations. Every time I opened a new Word file, there was that damn box, rendering Word unsusable. Finally, after another two hours of clicking on this or that, the annoying messge box disappeared into the computer’s nether niches.

The occasion of the old email was moments after Barack Obama’s keynote address – “The Audacity of Hope” – at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, once an incubator for an infant nation.

The subject line of the email is: “PREDICTION.”

I wrote:

“Barack Obama. Keep an eye on this guy. His political star will rise. BJ”

I confess I find the meteoric speed unsettling, but the prediction came true, made official last night.

Like all journalists, I thrill at observing history in the making.

Such moments in time are often fraught with tragedy. Many bring injustice. Others are filled with prmise.

A miracle is needed to deliver as much as has been promised.

Time will tell.

***

THE 2004 KEYNOTE ADDRESS

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

To me it is a miracle, after the last 8 years of GW in office, to even be able to imagine that change is possible. No one person does all he sets out to do, but to have someone in office that can and will think on his feet--someone who is even intending to go in the right direction--is wonderful. I think renewing energy in the populace is an amazingly strong beginning to a good future. E

Anonymous said...

I want very badly to be optimistic. I pray that with a greater majority in congress democrats with Barrack in the lead can really make good things happen. The only speech at the primaries I was disappointed in was Jay Rockefeller. He sounded like a Republican with the strong man project our military might message. Dem’s who have sold out or bought into the Republican mantra will be the main obstacle in '09

Anonymous said...

In response to Richard's insightful comment--maybe those Dems are people who go which ever way the wind blows. We hope.

Anonymous said...

Trying to outdo the Obama nomination, McMansion has picked a woman as VP running mate. I would venture to say he's lost most of his fundamental relidious base. Women are brainwashed to submit to their husbands. Will they vote for John & Sarah? Doubtful, I think.
Neither of them can outdo Obama's speech last night.

Going to be an interesting few weeks with a woman no one knows anything about. Bet Jerry Falwell is spinning in his grave!

Anonymous said...

One of the important lines delivered by Obama last night was, "Change doesn't come from Washington, change comes to Washington." So everyone has to do
their constructive, positive part to bring about the change we want. We have to create what we want for our futures. Same goes for the kind of person we want to be.

Want friends, then be friendly. Want education, then read and study educational material. Want forgiveness, then forgive. Want mercy, them be merciful. Want kindness, then be kind to others.
That's how the Universal Law works.

Want change, then help to bring about the change we want for human kind. We can't sit on our seat of do nothing and expect someone to do it for us and drop it in our lap.

'Nuff said.