Modest Magnificence

Modesty, peace and discipline begin at home. This seems to be the motto the United State's first coloured President, Barack Obama seems to firmly believe in. His wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia Ann and Natasha (called Sasha) and himself always make it a point to be together as a family even when their plates are full.

Their simple game of "Roses & Thorns" during dinner keeps the family updated on the Roses (good incidents) and the Thorns (troubling ones) each member has gone through during the day.

The 44th President of the United States is proud that he has never missed a single parent-teacher meet during the elections and makes sure that his children are treated as normally as the others. They have access to the net, video games and ipod at home but are never allowed to carry a cell phone to school where it is strictly not allowed.

Recently the Newspapers have been blaring out the news of the President winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The news seems to have come as a huge surprise to the world at large.

Obama's message of hope had touched millions of ordinary folks initially. Then why now does everyone want to throttle the President as if it were his fault that he was the chosen one within just 265 days in the Oval Office?

Before wrinkling your eyebrows, showing a fist and raising clamourous reactions ever thought about the other side?

What was the US under the rule of George Bush? Barack Obama is definitely not another George Bush. Isn't that qualification enough? He is everything George Bush wasn't. While Bush envisioned the US as a gory battlefield ever in the shadows of enemies, Obama had already seen a new way forward with the international community even before he entered the White House.

Let us not turn the topic to Bush. This isn't about Bush, this is what Obama stands for. The marvellous award might have come to him a wee early in his young age but does being young and different and having new ideas disqualify a person?

He has given a new face to power. From thrusting a complete ban on nuclear weapons, ordering the closure of the Guantanamo Bay war on terror camp which has well tarnished the US reputation, banning CIA secret prisons abroad and use of torture in terror interrogations to confronting the ever increasing pressure a young President needs to confront in a world of plunging economy and insecurity, Barack Obama has done it all.

Progress is visible in people's lives, bank accounts and stock market related pension funds. A well-run transition has melded smoothly into the business of governing.

The ever so modest Obama has accepted the magnificent Nobel Peace Prize by adding, "I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honored by this prize," he said. "I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century."

Hope is what won him the Presidential seat, hope is what keeps him going. He has been trying hard all the way towards creating a better world. He might not be there yet but he has at least started.

From Senator to President, Barack Obama has given his best shot to pass all groundbreaking lobbying and criticism. Was someone out there expecting that World Hunger, poverty and problems could be solved in a day or a week or even a year? Then why did no one do it before? Barack Obama stressed that "Change is Hard" and "Big Change is Harder". Sometimes hope can do miracles. So instead of sitting back and whining its about time people gave hope a chance, its about time people gave Obama a chance, its about time each individual took responsibility of making change happen.