If You Have Lost All Hope for the Country, Read Becoming

After a hardcopy of Becoming circulated among every other member of my family, I sat down and spent 421 pages with Michelle Obama. I had high expectations—my brother and mom, not big readers, finished the book swiftly and with gushing accolades. I made a new friend in the first section, which is titled “Becoming Me,” with a young, hardworking but fun, Michelle. Her vigor and enthusiasm are inspiring. She is modest without discrediting herself. She avidly thanks the people that gave her the support and energy to get where she got. Her story inspired me to be more grateful, more vocal, and most importantly, more optimistic.

Little Michelle hurls into Princeton precisely to prove she could, because she knew she deserved it but not everyone did. From there, she is intent on obtaining textbook success: Harvard law school, white shoe law firm, steady salary, consequent satisfaction. Once she gets there though, once she has fulfilled the daydreams of long bus rides and family dinners with her devoted, steady parents and her equally ambitious, talented brother, satisfaction still awaits. It is granted in the form of a life dedicated to service and action.

Reluctantly, Michelle dives in to the political flood consuming her husband. She dislikes the division and hostility that comes with politics. She is against anger and for progress, for compromise. Although she resents the public and stressful whirlpool in which the iconic duo situates themselves, she recognizes it as an opportunity to strengthen the movements which she had recently started fighting for. The fight fulfills her, so she embraces the platform she gained and streamlines it.

With the help of government funding and the eager eye of the media, she works for access to education and against childhood obesity. Her inherent love for children drives her dedication to the ones as close as the public school around the corner and as far away as South Africa. Internationally, she helps girls go to school. She preaches the importance of education to audiences of kids who lack the resources to believe in themselves. Nationally, she mourns with parents of children dead from tragedies of gun violence. She holds the hands of injured veterans in hospitals. She listens attentively to the stories of working women, military families, teen moms, children who associate the weather    forecast with the level of gang violence. She hugs everyone she can. She is an advocate and is married to one. Michelle and Barack Obama recognize the power of their passion and intellect and dedicate it to others. They are diplomatic thinkers, empathetic companions, and hardworking leaders. What a concept, I thought while reading their story.

Michelle Obama reminded me of everything accomplished during Barack Obama’s time as president and her equally influential time as First Lady. More resources and jobs became available to veterans and their families. Education for girls became a priority for the Peace Corps. Years of steady job growth followed an economic crisis. Thousands of troops came home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Health insurance was available to millions more people. It was only five years ago that the6 Supreme Court case declared the right for same-sex couples to marry in all fifty states. The amount of progress that can happen in such a short time is astonishing. Equally astonishing is the way certain leaders seem to obliterate it. I am lucky to grow up in an era of social progress—it is not crazy for me to see two men hold hands in public. I often see women of color on the covers of magazines. Female athletes are icons on social media. My peers attend marches and encourage their friends old enough to vote to do so. For better or for worse, social media is a platform for people to join forces. I am unlucky, however, to see these forces so polarized. My parents tell me there was a time when debates weren’t free-for-alls, when politics had more room for middle ground. Really? It seems unbelievable given the fact that when I read the paper in the morning, it is like watching a soap opera. Hateful comments and empty statements cause riots. It is wild out there.

It is wild, but it is still a democracy. Technically. In November, we will have the power to turn things around. Change will be slow but it is not impossible. Michelle Obama reminds me of this optimism. She reminds me that it is a privilege to commit ourselves to a cause. The simple act of voting and encouraging others to do so is an exercise of power. In doing so, we can just maybe change the game. Read Becoming and see how.