Senator Barack Obama and Professional Golfer Tiger Woods

[monmouth]

Sorry, I posted this in GD before, wrong again....

have some stunning parallels. Both men are the only sons of mixed marriages, both well educated with hopes and dreams to make a mark in their lives. The first time I saw Tiger was when he was around four years old on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His dad had him do some great shots on the set and the audience, and Johnny, were in awe of this adorable little boy. Tiger went to school, played golf for his college (Stamford) and excelled. And then he had the audacity to hope and dream to make it to the PGA.

This bastion of white republican-types, clubby and at times elitist, were aghast that this young man wanted to invade "their territory." Things were fine when he was that cute little guy who knew how to sink a put. It would have been fine if he wanted to caddy for them, but...but play??? He set those courses on fire, win, win, win. Don't think he didn't have to put up with the racist comments behind his back (he knew). I still remember Fuzzy Zoeller (who has since apologized and became friends with Tiger, to his credit) with a drink in his hand, be quite vocal in his disapproval of Tiger. I think he was more ticked off that Tiger's game was so far superior to all of theirs, it was just poor sportsmanship on their part. Then Jack Nicklaus, being the fine human being he is, and Arnie Palmer, embraced Tiger and took him in as one of their own. The others got the message and followed suit.

After that masterfully delivered speech in '04 of Barack Obama's, people were just enthralled with this junior Senator. Who is he? My Gawd, this guy is gonna be somebody, he's great, etc. Well he is great, he is somebody, people let him know (myself included) he had to jump in and put his talents to work. I'm sure he and Michelle discussed this to the death before the decision was made to run. They both knew what they would have to face, hell, in a way was this really anything new? If they weren't the objects of heavy discrimination themselves, they had at least heard the stories through the years. Yet, audacity and hope reared it's beautiful head and here we are.

It isn't easy being "new", it isn't easy breaking into others comfort zones. Maybe as Americans, we're in a rut. If you lived through the days of the Civil Rights, didn't you just know and hope this day would come? If you listened to Dr. King, even once in a while, you knew things were changing. The '60s and Vietnam anti-war demos made that crystal clear. I couldn't get down south to march because I was expecting my first child who was born four days after Barack in August of 1961.

As a white woman, retired professional I was supposed to be an HRC girl. Nah, I loved that little kid who is now kicking ass at Doral and I love that young man who had the audacity to share and give us the hope and opportunity to appreciate his talents. Yes We Can....Fore!!