A Dream Fulfilled Makes Me To Dream A Miraculous Dream of My Life.
Title: A Dream Fulfilled Makes Me To Dream A Miraculous Dream of My Life.
By: Ji-Woong Yang (Salt Lake Community College)
It’s interesting to know the story about someone, especially, very famous and influential people. Despite of my lack of knowledge of the United States, I know the struggle that African Americans fought with social inequality. So when I heard about the news that Barack Obama won the presidency, all the people of South Korea were surprised. However, I knew him only by name 3 years ago. And now, I know him at least who he was, who he is, and who he will be.
Tanya Savory, a famous biographical author, wrote a very impressive story about the 44th president of the United States of America. The title is ‘A Dream Fulfilled: The Story of Barack Obama,’ which was published at Townsend Press, Inc., NJ, in 2010. This book is very slim, but the story is very smart. When I picked it up, I could not help reading the whole story, without being unaware of the passage of time. Though my presentation may be boring, this book is not.
Body:
This book is about a man, who was born to be a true leader. His name is Barack Obama. As his name tells, he has a very complex lineage. He was born in Hawaii in 1961. His father, Hussein onyango Obama, was Kenyan, and his mother, Ann Dunham, was American. Because people in Kenya practiced polygamy, onyango got married many times, and had many children. After they divorced, Barack was raised in Hawaii by his grandparents on his mother’s side. As his father was eager to succeed in studying, Barack cut a conspicuous figure in his early school time. So when he was at first grade, he wrote an essay titled, “I Want to Become President.”
It seems that the son was the spitting image of his father. He always wanted to know about his father, who was mysterious and hard to understand. When he became an adult, he knew so many different things about his father by telling of his ‘unknown’ brothers or sisters. And then so many complex stories of his family’s history occupy many pages. It might raise a question as to what was his real purpose. That was making a better society by combining the different sides. And it might help him see self-examination about his identity and his vision.
He started to search his true goal in life in New York. He managed to rethink the change which “had the power to make his life different-and better.” He wanted to help the weaker overcome their circumstances. So he moved to Chicago. Despite trying to build a better America in Chicago at first, it seemed that he alone struggled with the social problems. But at last, his true heart worked. He gathered people. He put forth an opinion about welfare policy. He made a significant change in Chicago.
Then he had political ambition, and wanted to be a politician like Abraham Lincoln. He had a unique strong point, to understand both sides. While he went through bitter losses, he learned that “patience is also important in politics.” He met people, and listened to them. So people said that he made them feel he was not a politician, but a leader. People were looking for leaders of whom they could be proud: Someone said, “He was the man who always tried something new!” It was about ‘change’ for Barack. So after the speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, he ran for presidential election for 2008. With his ability to make peace, he beat Clinton first, then McCain. He kept his word, “Yes! We Can!”
Conclusion:
I heard that America is a land of opportunity where anything is possible if one works hard. But I had a doubt about that. Is it possible? But when I read this book carefully, and when I finished reading this book, I was very impressed by Obama’s great achievement. First of all, He fulfilled his dream, despite his color, his name, his surroundings, and all of his disadvantages. I think that the revelation of his identity about his family relationship was essential to him. His father’s desire to be a man of education and his mother’s generosity or tolerance show me that Barack could have a wealthy or objective mind. It might be the root of his political achievement. When I read his unique election campaign, I realized that he was a real change maker.
His story must be a motivation to so many people who want to make a success in their own lives. Yes. I have a dream, too. So I stand here. I learn many things from him: Study hard; Smile always; Be a helper to the weak; Understand the opposite; Consider the small with value; And Make change as much as you can. I came here to gain a Ph.D. degree in Theology. Thanks to this book, I can have a dream with courage. I believe that a dream fulfilled makes me to dream a miraculous dream of my life.