On election night, a message of inspiration

By Kyle Moylan
    One unavoidable reality about being on the job 20 years for the Princeton Packet Group is all the little guys and gals in the rec programs and high schools grow up.
    One guy I had covered from the time he played at the lowest levels of Pop Warner Football — when he was small enough where it was probably easier for him to run under a defensive line than around it — made a point of saying hello recently. Time had melted together and my inquiry of his present college was met with a happy response of graduation and a job in the pharmaceutical business.
    I’ve seen the little guys and gals go on to win gold medals in the Olympics. I’ve seen them play soccer in the World Cup. I’ve seen them play in the Major Leagues. I’ve seen them become doctors, lawyers and policemen. I’ve seen them become moms and dads.
    I’ve also seen them on drugs. I’ve seen them walking around aimlessly. I’ve seen them in prison. I’ve seen them die.
    The guy I ran into recently had the advantage of coming from a family of means. But I would never make the mistake of suggesting it was merely his family’s money that aided in his success. His father is a decent man that donated time back to the community and told me how much he loved his son more than once. More importantly, he showed that love. Come to think of it, that kind of upbringing probably guaranteed that little guy would have been a success in life regardless of what field he chose.
    But what of everyone else? What of the minorities? What of the poor? What of the children of one-parent or no-parent homes?
    As of this past Tuesday night, the message is clear: You can be anything. You can even be the president of the United States.
    I’ve been told that my entire life, but I don’t know if I ever honestly believed it before. My family didn’t have money. My grandparents were immigrants with little formal education.
    Both my parents went to college, but my father was an alcoholic and, for the most part, left my mother with three little kids to raise. She fought so hard for us that even today she can’t let go. Trust me, the five daily calls at work is a clear reminder that she can’t let go.
    There was a time for us that a great night of entertainment was getting together on my mom’s bed to watch one of the few channels we could get on an old black-and-white TV. And I know in my heart that compared to a great portion of the population, we had it great.
    My brother, sister and I all worked through high school. We all worked through college. We all took out student loans. We may have majored in art or English, but there was more than a minor push of a mother’s love as well.
    Every time I hear Barack Obama talk about the mom that raised him and wanted a better life for him, I can relate. Every time he talks about the grandmother that sacrificed for him, I can relate. Every time I see someone that has little more than hope, I can relate.
    I know there is a large portion of the population that believes less is more when it comes to the government. I suppose there is a small portion of people that are just looking for a handout, but there are millions more that just want a helping hand. Without that, President Barack Obama doesn’t exist. Without that, the American Dream is a nightmare for millions of people. Without that, I’m not writing this.
    Given a chance, there are so many things that all the little guys and gals in the world can become. It doesn’t even matter what their race, religion or financial situation is. That’s why when cameras scanned the crowd at Barack Obama’s acceptance speech so many of the people were crying. Everything was possible now. No excuses. The world would forever be as good or bad as we made it.
    When Obama waved to the crowd as he walked off the stage, the overall election totals were updated. When it showed 50,273,891 votes for Obama, that’s when it hit me. That last one. That was my vote.
    God bless America!
Kyle Moylan is sports editor of the Register-News. He can be reached at [email protected].