A month ago, the newswires spread headlines about Barack's jeans that he wore to a baseball game. The jeans were baggy and in Obama's words, "comfortable," and yet he was chastised for wearing the "mom" jeans. Barack brushed the criticism aside and chided those who disagreed with his choice of style. I would bet, though, that he had not hired anyone to pick out his outfit, and for that, I am happy he wore his "frumpy" jeans.
Today, pictures of Michelle Obama's shorts were on the internet for everyone to see. In an article on Yahoo!, the writer of the article stated that people weren't quite sure what to make of her and her husband's choices in clothes. The informality of the couple has left some unsure of whether or not this is acceptable as the first couple. Plus, they both look pretty darned good for their age, and I'm sure that makes a few people in their late forties jealous in their own right.
I remember taking classes at Disney as an intern, and in particular, I remember a class we took on changing the paradigm. Those who make real, lasting change are those who are willing to look at the current paradigms in society and change them. They are the leaders and thinkers of society. To consider this possibility, look no further than Thomas Jefferson, who paraphrased the writings of Mason, Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau. For centuries, the power belonged to the monarchy, whose power was divinely ordained. In only a relatively short time, power shifted from the he or she, to the we. We the people.
When a paradigm is changed, people often balk and feel uncomfortable, and sometimes angry about the changes that are coming.
Maybe, just maybe, jeans and shorts are symbolic of so much else that is changing in our nation. As a country, we may feel confused and not sure of what the future will bring, but one thing is certain, nothing is the same as it was. And that is how you know you have a leader, jeans and all, like it or not.
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