Dreams Do Come True When You Start Growing Bolder

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Added: Wed. Jan 21, 2009 9:54am
Posted in: Politics

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It's striking to me just how many people are talking about the CHANGE that has come to America with the new presidency of Barack Obama. Instinctively, I think -- change? Change doesn't just happen with an oath, it comes after years of struggle and the tireless efforts of millions, many of whom will never be recognized for their crucial accomplishments. It's the product of passionate people who know that they will succeed, despite the long odds.


But the truth is, while change is dynamic, there is some real value to the ida that one moment in time can be more important than those that preceded, and those that will follow.

You'll see plenty of examples over the next four years, and I won't position myself as having better ideas than anyone else. But in the crashing sea of stories surrounding Tuesday's inauguration, here are the moments in time that stood out for me.


Ann Cooper, 107 years old, *hoped that she would survive to see a black president. She talked to CNN about seeing her dream come true.

107, and still dreaming for a better future? Still curious about what the administration will bring? People like Ann defy the stereotypes of aging. In many ways, she reminds me of conversations we've had with Ruth Hamilton , the world's oldest blogger, and Onie Ponder who charmed us with her quick wit and sharp memory of a childhood that happened decades ago.

Another story reminded me that it *does pay to follow your passions, and to do what makes you happy. Clothing designer Isabel Toledo has been showing her work for decades, but stayed relatively unknown.


A Cuban by birth, 41-year-old Toledo didn't know that Michelle Obama had chosen one of her designs for inauguration day until she actually stepped out. When she saw the lemongrass suit, Toledo says she felt like she was "levitating."


One outfit, years in the making -- a moment that may very well define Isabel Toledo's future.


And of course, the Obama family itself is a story of long odds -- for a man with a name that just seven years ago would have made many Americans cringe; a skin color that would have once prevented him from sharing the same space as whites, the presidency is proof beyond all doubt that the key to life is Growing Bolder, even when the end goal seems incredibly far away. Position yourself in the right place, with the right attitude, and all your dreams can come true.