The Little Engine That Can

I think every boy and girl, or at least every American boy and girl, grew up on the children's book "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper. It's the story of a long heavy train that needs to be pulled over a high mountain. The bigger engines all refuse for this reason or that, but to everybody's surprise one little engine steps (rolls?) forward willing to take the overwhelming task on himself. Straining, pulling with only determination and faith that he can pull his charge to the top of the hill, the little engine chants under his breath "I think I can, I think I can." And, of course, in the end he does.

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. The moral of the story, that with hard work and positive thinking anyone can, everyone can, is the stuff Americans have been raised on. We weren't handed everything on a silver platter, but anything was possible. We were offered opportunity.

As incredible as this may sound, there was a time in my youth that I considered being the president of the United States of America. No kidding. It was an option, one of many directions I considered taking at the beginning of my journey. Now, after time has tainted my mind with a healthy dose of realism, I know that I was only fooling myself. Yet perhaps it says something about one of the greatest gifts America has granted its men and women, its boys and girls; optimism, a belief that opportunity is endless. No matter how wild it is, how far fetched, Americans can.

Maybe its because I have lived over here so long, far away from the land of endless opportunity, but now I have come to see that American expression "because I can" the way the rest of the world sees it. The arrogance in it, as if it somehow it is a reason for anything. Like when ex-president Clinton was asked why he had the liaison with Monika Lewinski, he replied, "Because I could."

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"I can" doesn't mean it's right or wise or good; it just means it's possible.

But Americans can. And sometimes they do.

Today I watched an American take the oath of office as president. Unlike me, he did take that the path to the White House, and he made it there with a promise to Americans. "Yes, we can."

Today was the crowning achievement of his career, greater than anything he will do in the next four years. An achievement for Americans and for America; for today all things are possible for all men and women.

In the next four years he will have to pull a long train with 300 million Americans aboard up a very high mountain. It will take a lot of determination on this young American's part, as well as that of others who are willing to jump down and step up and help him push that train up to the top.

Today I don't know if Obama can, but I certainly hope he will.