Friday, October 28, 2011

Leaders should inspire. Clearly this one does.

I stared at this picture for quite a long time yesterday.  As I did I was somewhat amazed at the number of emotions that it evoked within me.

For me it is just one of those pictures that the more you look at it, the more it says.

Which got me to wondering if it had that same effect on everybody.

So tell me, what do you feel?

57 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:02 AM

    According to that picture and blog title, Sarah Palin is one of the greatest leaders.

    Just sayin. It's all subjective. People can't help who they are inspired by and who influences them to take action. Sarah has awakened many a young person and adult alike. You CANNOT deny that nor condemn it. I credit Obama and any other HUMAN with the same qualities.

    Subjective.

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  2. Not What You Want To Hear3:05 AM

    Yes, that is a lovely picture, Gryphen. Thanks for posting it; I had not seen it before. What a sweet face on that little girl as she salutes our President.

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  3. Anonymous3:06 AM

    The Sarah I know and love, such heart and soul.

    http://sarahpalinandcommondecency.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/308397_275904595769973_100000513049736_1089752_6876319_n.jpg

    If you'd pull your head OUT of your armpit and live a non-judging, decent life that doesn't revolve around listening to a bunch of jealous liars, YOUD see her for who she REALLY is too, someone you'd adore.

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  4. Anonymous3:16 AM

    How's that song go? "I believe that children are the future"
    Here's a link to another child that gets it:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/my-10-year-old-son-gets-it/2011/10/27/gIQAveoCMM_blog.html#comments

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  5. Anonymous3:35 AM

    The man on he left looks like Alex Baldwin. The two children look as though they are in awe of him. I think he has that effect on a lot of people.

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  6. ...and the tears started..

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  7. WakeUpAmerica3:45 AM

    I feel that he is a very compassionate man who cares deeply about all of us, including the least of us.

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  8. I think he REALLY does know who he's working for.

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  9. Jeanabella3:56 AM

    Everyone who has been following the MSM and how it reports knows that most of the coverage on our President is negative. We do not in fact, have a liberal media. That was and is touted by Fox etc.
    Our President is very popular personally and there is good reason for that. He is not a bully or a moron. He is intelligent, kind and patient, among many more attributes and he has done more since Jan. '09 than we hear about. Every so often, just go to google and type in, Presidents Obamas' accomplishments and you will get a list of over 100 so far!
    Another thing I've done is look up the top 10 happiest countries in the world and then look what they have in common.
    BTW, the USA is not one of them.

    thanks for your posts Gryphen!
    @Jeanabella

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  10. Anonymous4:12 AM

    I want to hug that little girl - THAT'S an American.

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  11. That little girl is dumbstruck. I would be too, lol.

    I see smiling white men in the background, and white hands reaching for him.

    The racists are outnumbered.

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  12. Sally in MI4:23 AM

    Proud. He makes me proud to be an American. Look at the smiles on the faces of the people taking pictures. Look at the awe on the girl's face. This is a man who is not perfect, but who cares about more than money and power. I have never understood the people who call him arrogant. He has never appeared to be that to me. Confident? Yes, but never arrogant. Arrogance would have been chest pounding after his many victories. He doesn't do that. If we can get him a cooperative Congress, watch this country soar.

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  13. Anonymous4:27 AM

    I feel grateful that Barack Obama is my President.

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  14. Anonymous4:35 AM

    I felt HOPE. I did get a little teary eyed, that may be from menopause more than anything else but it is a wonderful photo. The chain separating the two also seems to send a message. I have lived a long time by following this simple rule, always trust the judgement of kids and dogs.

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  15. BJeFF4:38 AM

    I LOVE this pic!! I see so much admiration, adoration, and love from that beautiful little girl -- it almost brings tears. :o)

    This reminds me of my grandson -- he is now 6 year old. But even 3 years ago, when he first saw pictures in the news and/or on TV, he wanted to know who that man was. I told him it was President Obama, and he immediately 'loved that man'. Every time he sees the President on the news, he always wants to be sure I see him as well. "Look, there is President Obama"

    He even gets the same adoring look on his face, as most of the kids we see in the photos -- and tells me: "I love President Obama", and wants to know if we can go see him some time. LOL -- If only we could. :o)

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  16. Anonymous4:48 AM

    First thing I noticed was there are no angry faces in the crowd. Not one. Not one!

    Second thing - how sweet is the unspoken connection made between the President and the little girl saluting her commander in chief. What an incredible amount of respect on that little one's face.

    Congress could use some of that unabashed loyalty to their country.

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  17. Anonymous5:07 AM

    I'm sure many comments will have ample words and then some.
    It is beyond emotional.

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  18. It made me cry. Please, please, may we all work, speak, protest, campaign, donate and VOTE to take our country forward, not back, into an educated, humane, just, equitable, diverse, compassionate, and sustainable future--starting now, in the present. I don't want to take my country back. I want to make our world better for all.

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  19. Everything about his body image says that he is totally at one with looking into the faces of the people faces him. There is not a drop of "I am President" in his stance. I love him. We are so lucky.

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  20. After noticing the adorable girl (***with her OBVIOUSLY KENYAN WAR PAINT!! =) ha!)

    I noticed the President's back-

    he is indicating deference(?)- I don't think that is quite the right word- to the little girl...

    i think it shows his physical humility at this incredibly powerful moment.

    I am so proud of that little girl's parent, who I assume told her to do it.

    Awesome.

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  21. Sharon5:28 AM

    I totally agree with the power of just seeing our president, I would look just like that little girl and I am 60. This next term will be his real glory...I cant wait to see Republican heads just explode.
    PS...this is my fav blog

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  24. That picture makes me proud. And hopeful for the future.

    A leader who can inspire without even having to say a word.

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  25. To that crazy ass troll @ 3:02 & 3:06AM(what...did you jump out of bed and post on here when Gryphen put out a new post...SHEESH)...maybe you rode the short bus...so let me spell this out for you... T H I S
    P O S T I S A B O U T P R E S I D E N T O B A M A. Not the half-term Quitter Ex-Gov, lazy ass, no good mother Sarah Palin...who inspires racist and there ilk...

    And that awful ass picture that you posted of the Quitter looking at some tea baggers poor child is not the same as the Presidents connection with children...that gargoyle of a woman...SCARES small children...look at how that child is clutching onto her mother hoping that the Crazy Lady doesn't poke her with those claws she calls hands....now SHOO troll...grownups are talking here.

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  26. Now about that lovely picture of that beautiful little girl looking at the President(unfortunately I stepped in some Troll goo and it took a little time to get it unstuck from my shoe)...all those kids and grownups too look like they are seeing the future and maybe it won't be half bad...press on Barack....we got your back!

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  27. Anonymous5:59 AM

    Great story BJeff.

    I have posted this before, but I will never forget sitting down to watch Steve Croft interview Obama right after he announced he was running. I did not expect to vote for him but I admired him and was excited to know more. So I settled in to watch with my four month old daughter propped up in my lap.

    She watched intently for a few moments and then every time they zoomed in on Obama's face, she started to coo and babble. It was the sweetest little sound and she had never done anything like it before. Eventually I realized she was TALKING to him and was really enjoying herself. The camera would pan to Kroft and she would fall silent. Then Obama's face would fill the screen and she would start to babble. This went on for 10-15 minutes.

    I never heard her make those sounds again.

    It was the damnedest thing and let me tell you, It made me wonder what she saw that I didn't. I of course eventually voted for him and never regretted it for an instant. It boils down to trust and while I feel he has earned it, i also think that it was amazing that even my daughter saw it so quickly.

    He is a special person and I feel fortunate to have him as my president. So good to know I am far from alone..

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  28. Anonymous6:21 AM

    oh, that little girls' face is priceless - but I love the enthusiasm of everyone (even the adults pictured)...and, like someone else said - I find it really noticeable that, even from the back, President Obama seems connected to this girl...his back slightly stooped to look down.

    This is a beautiful picture ! Thanks

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  29. Anonymous6:28 AM

    She looks so proud and respectful of him. I like it! Why can't the right respect our President the way this little girl does? You don't have to agree with everything he does, but he's still our President!

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  30. My first thought, after noticing how utterly beautiful that little girl is, is that this is the first time in our racially troubled history as a nation that a black child can see a president who is the same color she is.

    White children have had this connection all along. "Like me" is so important, and can be defined in so many ways. I see Pres Obama as "like me" in his integrity, hard work, and aim to understand things. I fall far short of him.

    Maybe this little girl is intuitively locking in to the more complex "like me" values, as children do. As anon 5:59 said.

    And Pres Obama clearly gets it, gets that moment. Even from his back, one can see that.

    We are sooooooooo lucky to have this President at this difficult time.

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  31. Anonymous6:30 AM

    According to that picture and blog title, Sarah Palin is one of the greatest leaders.

    Just sayin. It's all subjective. People can't help who they are inspired by and who influences them to take action. Sarah has awakened many a young person and adult alike. You CANNOT deny that nor condemn it. I credit Obama and any other HUMAN with the same qualities.

    Subjective.

    3:02 AM
    -----
    WTF are you talking about? This post is not about that woman. Obsessed much? Why haven't you gotten help yet? You need it. No joke.

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  32. Anonymous6:36 AM

    Gorgeous. I haven't met the President, but folks who do look at him in awe. I can't imagine what charisma he must have. He is very Kennedy-esque.

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  33. Oh God, this picture is amazing. Has me in tears. The eye contact she is clearly making with Obama is so penetrating, so real, it just carries so many layers. Her face reflects the honesty of his connection I think.

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  34. ManxMamma6:49 AM

    Anon 3:02. I agree. Sarah has awakened many a young person and adult. That screech of hers would wake the dead!

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  35. Anonymous6:51 AM

    @5:59 AM
    --------
    Thank you for sharing that experience. I have read several similar experiences of young children and their response to President Obama when they see him on television. Yes, listen to the children.

    This is the very first president in my 61 years who I truly respect.

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  36. Anonymous7:10 AM

    Friday's Good

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gN1SNAHz44Y

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  37. Anonymous7:13 AM

    Every Day, It Gets Better

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2kpJC-Ymk8&feature=related

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  38. Anonymous7:14 AM

    Beautiful photo of our President! He's a natural, and with God's grace, will be re-elected in 2012 to keep moving our country forward into the future, not backward into Hillbilly Heaven like the Teabaggers wish.

    (And why the comments about that Sara Pallin person? Who is she and why are you commenting about her? This is about PRESIDENT OBAMA!)

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  39. 3:02 AM

    It's a fact that the insufferable bitch inspires hatred, confusion, vitriol, barfing, nastiness, fakeness, skanky, phoniness, and deceit.

    Those are the qualities that baggers love to brag about.

    Keep my President out of the sentence with your stupid bitch, clown.

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  40. Gasman7:46 AM

    Anon @ 3:02,
    Yes, Sarah Palin has indeed "awakened many a young person and adult alike," but not like you imagine. Palin has made tens of millions Americans realize what an incompetent, lying, grifting moron she is and the she has no business even being considered for the White House.

    Do you honestly believe your laughable, pathetically lame apologia in defense of thick-as-shit Sarah is going to offset the Google ready available record of "Africa is a country" Palin?

    You might even be dumber than Palin.

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  41. Anonymous8:05 AM

    No hostility, no hate, no fear, no anger just love for humanity.

    After the demise of the tea party, the true charachter of our President and his supporters is refreshing to see.

    That photo looks like a Norman Rockwell Painting.

    Gabby Gifford and her husband have a book coming out. Destined to be a best seller! Now that's a woman of substance, resolve, and conviction. They should call it "An American Life" or something similar. They're bright, I'm sure they'll do their own work and not farm it out to some ghostwriter.

    Those books are so lame, but for some reason, people buy them. No accounting for "taste".

    Go Team Gabby!




    Thanks for sharing.

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  42. Anonymous8:06 AM

    I'm willing to bet that little girl's daddy is in the military and taught her all about saluting the Commander in Chief. He must be so proud of her.

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  43. Anonymous8:13 AM

    You seriously need to think through your statement, anon at 3:02. "One of the GREATEST leaders"? She LOST!

    Hilter, Stalin, Lenin, and Mao also inspired many people--unfortunately, far, far more than Sarah. And yes, i certainly can condemn them and the idiots who followed them. Lemmings follow other lemmings over cliffs.

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  44. Just like the posters here, my niece who as one, had to know his name. The way she pronounced his name was priceless. We only told her once and she remembered his name since. Every time she saw him she called his name.

    I love and adore this president. We are lucky to have him as ours.

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  45. Removed! It was ridiculous for me to share any space with our Wonderful President and that thing from the North.

    What I failed to mention in addition to his back, is it appears to me that his eyebrow is raised to a degree~ like when someone surprises you with a thoughtful gesture.

    That's what I see.

    And the little girl is amazing, but the little boy behind her is equally mesmerized by the POTUS.

    I WANT TO MEET HIM TOO!!!!

    Michelle and Secret Service~ Look Out! Grrr!

    =)

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  46. Anonymous8:26 AM

    Yes,Gryphen, that photo makes me want to cry. I just feel, have always felt, since this past election, that this good honorable man was elected as President and that somehow it provides a sign for unity. How good it is that President Obama sets such an inspirational example by his attitude to young kids. But, even more so, to African-American kids who come from generations who were oppressed for so long by wicked white men. I feel a vindication from God above that He in his good time gives Americans a chance to make this great opportunity work for unity, or tear down this opportunity.

    Unfortunately, the GOP have chosen to tear down such opportunity.

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  47. oh my god.

    Every Day It Gets Better.

    I am sitting here- BAWLING!!

    http://www.youtube.com/
    watch?v=B2kpJC-Ymk8&NR=1

    There is still so much left to be done, but our POTUS "gets" it.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    The following news story is so horrendous, but even moreso, it wasn't the ONLY one to pop up on Google.

    The article title does give it away...

    http://www.advocate.com/
    News/Daily_News/2011/10/24/Gay_Man_Burned_
    Beaten_in_
    Scotland_Murder/


    Can you imagine if that was your baby boy? Your brother?

    Tears, again.

    I'm walking away from this for a bit...

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  48. ywc_achieve9:04 AM

    If that picture of that sweet little girl saluting our president is not adorable, nothing is.. :)

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  49. Anonymous9:09 AM

    anon @ 5:59a...that is too cute! my daughter made a connection (via the tv) with, wait for it ........................................................................ chuck woolery! i was addicted to watching lingo around the time she was born and same sort of thing, everytime he came on screen, she was at peace with the world. not nearly as good of a story as yours, but awesome in it's own way.

    to the person advertising the merits of sarah palin: really? do you also go to burger king and wax poetic about the virtues of mcdonalds? do you go to a dell store and tell everyone how great macs are? just weird. what i tell my daughter is, if no one asks, keep it to yourself. only share when it is asked of you. maybe it would be helpful if gryphen had a 'guest' open post where everyone could type in how mrs. palin has changed their life and is so great, so i can choose not to read those comments.

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  50. I am reminded again of what my small African American grandson said when he saw a photo of the president for the first time. He got a look of delight and awe on his face, and burst out with, "He's brown...just like me!"

    It was a happy moment for a little boy (now six years old) living in a white family and trying to figure out the skin color differences.

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  51. ywc_achieve9:21 AM

    Jeanabella

    I pass this site around everyday. lets all of us pass it around. make it viral.

    http://oba­maachievem­ents.org/l­ist

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  52. Love the picture. Is it available for reprint anywhere.

    And to all of you who wonder what Obama is like in person? I met him several times at fundraisers in Illinois in 2004 and then again in 2006, when he was helping local candidates. He is very, very thin, almost frail. ("Frail" is the only word I can think of here). But as frail as he looks, he's also strong. He seems to have an almost tensile strength. He's personally mesmerising, but still very real. It's difficult to describe.

    Oh, and as much as I enjoy seeing him with AA children and adults, I love seeing him with white children and adults. There was another picture, published maybe a month ago, with Obama - and maybe Michelle - meeting a group of white children and adults. EVERYBODY was smiling and the kids were just radiant at the sight of the president.

    Little kids - and old farts like me - love this guy.

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  53. Anonymous9:55 AM

    As an "Army Brat", that is probably what I would of done at that age when seeing the president.

    It brings tears to my eyes.

    Bonsai-Jay

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  54. ibwilliamsi11:51 AM

    What's obvious over and over in photos and video of the President with children is that he really likes children, and that the children instinctively know that he likes children.

    We don't have to adore President Obama. I am indeed one of the hard left who feel that he did not accomplish enough when first elected and when he had the bully pulpit that he could have used so well. I readily admit that I am disappointed in that.

    But I know the difference between a celebrity and a person of substance, and President Obama is a person of substance. I'm sure that there are many people who are dazzled by celebrity who find substance to be confusing. It's a shame.

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  55. Beldar Obama2012 Cpnehead12:01 PM

    Press on, Mister President, indeed. We're fortunate to have Barack Obama as our leader. The question is, how do we keep him there? Thanks for posting the picture, Gryphen.

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  56. Gryphen--
    Thanks so much for your post--and for your follow-up post responding to the Palin supporter's comment. Between the two of you, you inspired me (gotta love that word) to pin down something that has been floating around in the back of my head for quite some time. President Obama does indeed inspire. But so does Sarah Palin. And that begs the really key question: WHAT does each of them inspire? A great leader should inspire us to better than we were--more motivated, more creative, more inclusive, more principled, more involved, more willing to work together for the common good. You inspired me enough that I ripped off your pictures (but I linked to your blog) and blogged about the question over on MY blog. Thanks for doing what you do.

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  57. I feel just like what I think I see in that young girl's face: admiration of and confidence in President Obama.

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