I got to Washington too late to watch the concert on the mall, not even on TV. But when I heard about it, I immediately thought how appropriate it was that one of the speakers was Tiger Woods.
When Tiger first burst onto the scene, he played in a charity golf tournament at Pebble Beach, and my kids were dying to see him. They made signs at home to hold up, and then we joined the mobs at the golf course.
Tiger was totally intense and focused on his play. He walked the course with his eyes straight ahead, barely seeming to notice the adoring crowds who held up signs and screamed his name. We were part of the multitude like everyone else. When Tiger walked in front of us, my 8-year old son held up his sign, which he'd thought of himself and written on our kitchen table at home in his child's lettering.
The moment was magic. Tiger looked up and noticed the sign. He stopped and flashed his huge smile, and everyone in the crowd turned to look at Daniel, wondering if Tiger knew him.
In a way, he did. Because what Daniel had written on his sign was a Nike swoosh and the slogan he had seen on television. The commercial featured children of all ages, sizes and colors, all repeating the same four words---words that articulated everything Tiger stood for: a walking American melting pot, the poster boy for possibility, a hero for any child who could dream. Just four words: "I am Tiger Woods.".
So when I thought of Tiger here in Washington to honor our new president, I couldn't help thinking of how his own history and his signature line fit this moment. And how just four words say it all-- what this inauguration represents for every single kid in America: "I am Barack Obama."
Cross-posted on the Huffington Post
I love this post!
Posted by: Ruthie | January 23, 2009 at 04:42 PM
Thanks, Ruthie! BTW, Daniel still has that sign he made.
Posted by: Darryle | January 24, 2009 at 02:11 AM