Politics in a roundabout way

Had a much needed long sit down with Professor M tonight. I've been a bit "off" the last few days to which I attribute to PMS moments (Pardon My Shit). The week, the flu and hormones are taking their collective toll on my attitude. It's not only her extremely educated mind that I cling to but rather her highly evolved spirit that always gets me back on track. We discussed our current personal events and gently argued politics, of which we have opposing opinions. I love debating this subject with her as I can see her side but remain determined to make her see mine. Our respect for one another makes for great banter and lively conversation, which I am always in need of. The conversation evolved to the lastest revolution sweeping the country fueled by Oprah's current book club book by Eckhart Tolle. I was reading this book long before she recommended it so I felt smug to have one up on her.

Eckhart Tolle has been an author I've respected since I read "The Power of Now", but I always found him hard to grasp. However there are passages that speak to me, such as this from that:

One day a stranger walked by. "Spare some change?" mumbled the beggar, "I have nothing to give you," said the stranger. Then he asked: "What's that you're sitting on?" "Nothing, " replied the beggar. "Just an old box. I've been sitting on it for as long as I can remember. "Ever look inside?," asked the stranger. "No," said the beggar. "What's the point, there's nothing in there." "Have a look inside," insisted the stranger. The beggar, reluctantly, managed to pry open the lid. With astonishment, disbelief, and elation, he saw that the box was filled with gold. I am that stranger who has nothing to give you and who is telling you to look inside. Not inside any box, as in the parable, but somewhere even closer: inside yourself.

I find that prophetic as he is trying to say that happiness in living comes not from material substance but rather from within. The evolution of our own spirit is a necessary element to live the life we imagine. His current book digs much deeper into this subject and the fact that Oprah has taken up the cause with her mass audience is retrospective. Just for the fact that so many people are not only reading it but gaining positive insight makes me wonder deeply about the energy of spirit. If a collective group of people begin having these positive thoughts, we can't help but to infect the world. I am a huge believer in the power of positive thinking and how it can affect change. Which leads me to the current political energy. We need change right now and it's going to take a leader that gives people hope. Once hope is established, change is not far behind. I do believe Barack Obama, even though a politician, can establish this change. And so.... there's my endorsement for President.