Engaged For Success

In view of the current Climate Change Summit taking place in Copenhagen, I thought I’d share a short poem that I wrote  many moons ago when I was 21!

POLLUTION

The sky

was blue

with silver white clouds

cruising along

at ease with the world

a detonation of peace to all mankind

The sky

became black

as fuming warish smoke fumes

exhumed warish smoke fumes

making me wonder

about the destiny of this world

(c) Susan Popoola 21:166:16:06

Tiger Woods has indeed been a naughty boy.  However, he has now apologised to all who may have been hurt or upset by his actions.  That’s it for me, after all it really has nothing to do with me.  One way or the other he will sort things out with his sponsors. Most important of all I hope he is able to resolve things with his wife and the rest of his family.

However, I must confess that I find it difficult to understand why people feel the need to “kiss and Tell” if they care at all.  I also find it difficult to understand why the media pay so much attention to those that do.

I’m normally a happy, positive, smiling person, but on Thursday I received a phone call which made me feel as if I was actually walking on sunshine. I tried to contain my excitement, but all my efforts were futile. So if you were in Central Milton Keynes on Thursday and happened to come across a lady all suited up, jiggling along as she walked with headphones in – I confess, that was probably me. Since I don’t have any teenage children to have been embarrassed by my behaviour, I think I may have got away with such behaviour.

Although the teenagers of the world are more likely to be embarrassed for me than by me, I have questioned myself as to whether my euphoria may have been a bit extreme. After all, I’ve asked myself, what will happen if my new source of excitement is withdrawn? Will I suddenly go to the opposite extreme and become a melancholic nightmare.

On reflection I have, however, concluded that I should continue to at least try and walk on sunshine, but moderate my behaviour – in public. The reality is there is always something to be happy and excited about – after all even on a dull, rainy day, the sun does still shine. I know this for a fact based on the experience of sitting in a conservatory on a cold winter’s day. So sometimes it may be harder to find the sun, but it’s always there. Even if you don’t have a conservatory and can’t locate the sun anywhere else, as sure as there is day and night the sun will shine again.

Susan Popoola

Copyright 2009 This document is the specific intellectual property of Susan Popoola. Content may not be reused or reproduced without the specific permission of the owner or a reference to the source. Opinions may be generated from content obtained from other sources and such content is referenced as appropriate.

Like some many others, I had the priviledge of listening to Susan Boyle auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent over the weekend. Beyond shadow of a doubt her singing was impressive, but as the more I read commentaries on the audition, the more I become saddened and concerned.

You see I’m increasingly reading comments where people very casually refer to her as ugly or express a desire to give her a makeover. The fact that she does not look like someone from a glossy magazine does not make her ugy – from that perspective, she’s just another everyday person.

Possibly singing in front of an audience and possibly the Queen means she will need to sharpen her image a bit, but it doesn’t necessarily mean she needs a complete makeover.

So I say well done to Susan. If she does want a makeover, then good for her, but if not then may she happily be as she is.

For the rest of us, one of the judges, Amanda said that Susan was a big wake up call. Let it truly be so as the question on my mind remains – “What Gives Us The Right?”

Selah

I doubt if will surprise anyone that knows me to hear that I am hoping and praying that Barack Obama wins the American Presidential elections.

I am not an American, neither do I live in America and as such I am not in a position to vote. Some would even say that as a consequence I shouldn’t even have an opinion. However, if the truth is that we now have a global economy and the current economic problems that we are facing here in England (as with the rest of the world) stem from or at least relate to actions taken within the US, then I believe I as everyone has the right to comment – even though we are not in a position to vote.

My support for Obama is not due to the colour of his skin or his change mantra, but because I have studied him as a person, his background and his proposals and I believe he is best positioned to serve and propel America forward.

Indeed at the beginning of the primaries I studied all the candidates and specifically listened to biographical information on each of the candidates, searching…. searching for the candidates that I believe would be best positioned to understand , support and connect to everyday people. With an awareness of the divides and growing disparities that exist within societies, this was the most crucial factor for me.

Obama’s background, work experience and policies mean that he meets the essential criteria. His campaign strategy (which I believe should be studied by every business leader, entrepreneur, community worker etc) demonstrates his ability to mobilise and involve people. This is compounded with the experience of Joe Biden who I believe is very much in touch with the people, both because of his background and because he probably interacts with them on a daily basis as he travels with them on his daily commute. On the other hand, while I believe that McCain sincerely cares, I don’t believe that he or Palin have the background experiences to fully understand.

My focus and essential criteria for the next president sounds simplistic, but I’m a simple person. I do not however deny the importance of experience, intelligence, character etc. These are also very important. Though you may choose to question Obama’s experience, he has clearly demonstrated character and intelligence in the campaign and for any experience that he is lacking I believe he will pull together a team that will effectively fill in the gaps in his experience.

I still, however, go back to the ability to connect and support the needs of everyday people because I sincerely believe that as Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Said “As long as there is poverty in the world I can never be rich, even if I have a billion dollars. As long as diseases are rampant millions of people in this world cannot expect to live more than twenty-eight or thirty years, I can never be totally healthy, even if I just got a good checkup at the Mayo Clinic. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the way our world is made. No individual or nation can stand out boasting of being independent. We are all interdependent”.

For a leader to lead on this principal he or she must be a servant leader with fortitude, compassion and understand. I believe at the very least Barack Obama will do his uttermost to be a servant to the people.