An Ode To Relentless Persistence

Copyright PYOW Publishing 2009Copyright PYOW Publishing 2009

A Salute to Relentless Persistence:A Salute to Relentless Persistence: Oh Yes We CanOh Yes We Can

His Dad was black and his Mom was His Dad was black and his Mom was white, and they divorced when he was white, and they divorced when he was still a baby so he grew up a mixed race still a baby so he grew up a mixed race child in a single parent home. child in a single parent home.

Such a combination has turned many a Such a combination has turned many a child bitter, cynical, and angry enough to child bitter, cynical, and angry enough to stop trying, to throw in the towel, and to stop trying, to throw in the towel, and to escape into alcohol, drugs, and other self escape into alcohol, drugs, and other self destructive behavior.destructive behavior.



But with constant encouragement But with constant encouragement from his Mom and his grandparents from his Mom and his grandparents all of whom were from Kansas, he all of whom were from Kansas, he avoided the bitterness, cynicism, and avoided the bitterness, cynicism, and anger which has broken so many, anger which has broken so many, and he replaced them with inner and he replaced them with inner strength, optimism, and… strength, optimism, and…

Oh Yes I Can! Oh Yes I Can!


A Salute to Relentless Persistence:A Salute to Relentless Persistence: Oh Oh Yes We CanYes We Can



He was a relentless competitor who competed He was a relentless competitor who competed mostly with himself. mostly with himself.

His goal was to always be a little stronger this His goal was to always be a little stronger this week than he was last week, a little stronger this week than he was last week, a little stronger this month than last month, and a lot stronger this month than last month, and a lot stronger this year than last year. year than last year.

He was absolutely relentless in his persistence, He was absolutely relentless in his persistence, and week after week, month after month, year and week after week, month after month, year after year he grew a little stronger physically, after year he grew a little stronger physically, mentally, and spiritually.mentally, and spiritually.



At the end of his high school years At the end of his high school years he discovered that his relentless he discovered that his relentless persistence had opened up all kinds persistence had opened up all kinds of educational opportunity, and he of educational opportunity, and he had a number of good colleges and had a number of good colleges and universities who were recruiting him, universities who were recruiting him, and actively wanting him to attend. and actively wanting him to attend.



He chose to attend Columbia He chose to attend Columbia University for his undergraduate University for his undergraduate schooling, and Harvard for graduate schooling, and Harvard for graduate school, all the while continuing to school, all the while continuing to grow stronger and stronger, week grow stronger and stronger, week after week, month after month, and after week, month after month, and year after year.year after year.



When he graduated from college he was When he graduated from college he was swamped with financial opportunities.swamped with financial opportunities.

But he turned them all down in favor of But he turned them all down in favor of becoming a community organizer in the becoming a community organizer in the midst of poverty, gangs, and drugs on the midst of poverty, gangs, and drugs on the south side of Chicago, (a place where south side of Chicago, (a place where party affiliation means nothing when it’s a party affiliation means nothing when it’s a challenge is to feed your kids and to keep challenge is to feed your kids and to keep heat in the house during the winter). heat in the house during the winter).



Once there he personified optimism, Once there he personified optimism, intelligence, and relentless intelligence, and relentless persistence to people who had been persistence to people who had been systematically beaten up, kicked systematically beaten up, kicked around, chewed up, spit out, and around, chewed up, spit out, and generally rejected by the nation in generally rejected by the nation in which they were born.which they were born.



In the face of bitterness, cynicism, In the face of bitterness, cynicism, and anger he preached individual and anger he preached individual responsibility, strengthening oneself responsibility, strengthening oneself week after week, month after month, week after week, month after month, year after year. year after year.

In the teeth of bigotry, injustice, In the teeth of bigotry, injustice, racism and hatred, he preached racism and hatred, he preached relentless persistence. relentless persistence.



And in the bowels of scarcity, And in the bowels of scarcity, hunger, homelessness, gangs, drugs, hunger, homelessness, gangs, drugs, and violence he preached Oh Yes We and violence he preached Oh Yes We Can over and over and over again Can over and over and over again until many south side Chicagoans until many south side Chicagoans began to take him seriously. began to take him seriously.



His relentless persistence became His relentless persistence became infectious, and contagious. infectious, and contagious.

He was radioactive, glowing in the He was radioactive, glowing in the dark, and small seeds of optimism dark, and small seeds of optimism were suddenly taking root in homes, were suddenly taking root in homes, neighborhoods, and precincts all over neighborhoods, and precincts all over the south side of Chicago.the south side of Chicago.


A Salute to Relentless Persistence:A Salute to Relentless Persistence: Oh Oh Yes We CanYes We Can



During this Chicago experience he During this Chicago experience he discovered something very discovered something very interesting. interesting.

He found that when he helped others He found that when he helped others become stronger…his own strength become stronger…his own strength grew exponentially in ways that he’d grew exponentially in ways that he’d never experienced before. never experienced before.



In fact through these efforts he In fact through these efforts he became so strong that he decided to became so strong that he decided to run for public office in order to run for public office in order to represent the relentlessly persistent represent the relentlessly persistent group of citizens that was growing group of citizens that was growing exponentially on the south side of exponentially on the south side of Chicago.Chicago.



First he ran for the local state First he ran for the local state legislature and became a member of legislature and became a member of the Illinois Senate. the Illinois Senate.

Then he ran for the United States Then he ran for the United States Senate and he succeeded again Senate and he succeeded again



And all the while he was doing battle And all the while he was doing battle with his mixed race background, his with his mixed race background, his strange, un-American sounding strange, un-American sounding name, and his big ears. name, and his big ears.

But with Relentless Persistence in his But with Relentless Persistence in his gut, and Oh Yes We Can in his voice, gut, and Oh Yes We Can in his voice, he continued to grow stronger by the he continued to grow stronger by the week, the month, and the year.week, the month, and the year.



Finally at age 47, with America Finally at age 47, with America embroiled in two unpopular wars and embroiled in two unpopular wars and the wheels of its economy the wheels of its economy threatening to fall off, he decided to threatening to fall off, he decided to run for the Presidency of the United run for the Presidency of the United States of America. States of America.

Many Americans chuckled, mocked, Many Americans chuckled, mocked, or ignored him completely. or ignored him completely.



But what they didn’t know was that this But what they didn’t know was that this new guy was absolutely overflowing with new guy was absolutely overflowing with Relentless Persistence. Relentless Persistence.

His Oh Yes We Can message was His Oh Yes We Can message was contagious, infectious, radioactive, and it contagious, infectious, radioactive, and it was precisely what America and the rest of was precisely what America and the rest of the world needed to hear over and over the world needed to hear over and over and over again. And they did!and over again. And they did!



Now you ask, is this a simplistic, even an Now you ask, is this a simplistic, even an idealistic portrait of the 44th President of idealistic portrait of the 44th President of the United States? I confess, yes it is. the United States? I confess, yes it is.

Has he fallen off the wagon on occasion? Has he fallen off the wagon on occasion? You betcha he has. Not only that, he’s You betcha he has. Not only that, he’s admitted as much in public, in black and admitted as much in public, in black and white, in person, and in his books. white, in person, and in his books.

Perfect he’s definitely not, and has never Perfect he’s definitely not, and has never claimed to be.claimed to be.



But the main thing is that he never But the main thing is that he never fell far enough off the wagon that he fell far enough off the wagon that he failed continue growing stronger and failed continue growing stronger and stronger, week after week, month stronger, week after week, month after month, year after year. after month, year after year.

That’s precisely why he is who he is, That’s precisely why he is who he is, and why he’s doing what he’s doing. and why he’s doing what he’s doing.



And to the degree that our younger And to the degree that our younger generation understands this simple generation understands this simple formula and follows his lead, we’ll be formula and follows his lead, we’ll be raising a generation who will raising a generation who will themselves grow stronger week after themselves grow stronger week after week, month after month, and year week, month after month, and year after year. after year.



As the result that next generation As the result that next generation will be stronger, more independent, will be stronger, more independent, more self-reliant, and resilient more self-reliant, and resilient enough to uphold and defend a enough to uphold and defend a legitimate democratic government of legitimate democratic government of the people, by the people, and for the people, by the people, and for the people. the people.



You could say it’s all about You could say it’s all about RELENTLESS PERSISTENCE!! RELENTLESS PERSISTENCE!!

Oh Yes We Could!Oh Yes We Could!



A Presidential Salute PersistenceA Presidential Salute Persistence

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; Talent will not; Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; Genius will not; Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; Education will not; The world is full of educated derelicts. The world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

… …Calvin CoolidgeCalvin Coolidge

An Ode To Relentless Persistence

Education

Transcript of An Ode To Relentless Persistence