"A New Dawn"

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I must again tell you how closely NZ was following the election. It genuinely surprised me… in a good way. People all around the world stopped to hear Obama speak. It was my Wednesday evening, your late Tuesday night, but the same moment in time. It made the world feel both very big and very small. It really hit home. Everyone was watching and waiting for results, but you were one of the few who had the right to participate in the process. Even if your candidate didn’t win, I think you can still appreciate the significance of the event. I don’t know how divided the US is right now, but NZ is happy. They think we did a really cool thing!

I came across this AP article about how the election has affected American expats. My experience is not as dramatic, but the idea is the same. The last few months have opened my eyes to how the rest of the world views the US. I wasn't surprised, but it's still jarring to experience it firsthand. NZ is an easy-going country that occupies its own little corner of the world. It’s certainly not a hostile environment, but I’m regularly asked about the war on terror, Bushisms, Hurricane Katrina, civil liberties, etc, etc. It's almost always good-natured, but there have been a few conversations that went on long enough to make me uncomfortable... a few comments said with a tone that put me on the defensive.

The atmosphere was noticeably different today. People congratulated me; they asked intelligent questions; they expressed hope that the world would change for the better. I wasn’t the butt of any jokes. It sounds made-up and cheesy, but a Kiwi told me his faith in America was renewed. He said that New Zealand knows it is insignificant in the grand scheme of things so it looks to America for its lead, for support, for opportunity. That’s all changed in the last few years, but people are optimistic that it can change back. That Kiwi is only one person, but the AP article tells a similar story. I could go on, but the main point is that I’m more aware today than I was yesterday of America’s role in the world and how far-reaching its influence is.

But don’t take my word for it... go to the news! This was the lead story in New Zealand's capital city newspaper today. The front page featured a half-page photo of Obama with the headline “Change Has Come To America.” The rest of the front page was the article text, except for a small column in the bottom right corner. That column's headline was: “That Other Election.” What’s that other election? Oh nothing much… just Saturday’s election for Prime Minister of New Zealand, the highest office in all the land.

Note: Thanks for letting me say my piece. I'm done now. This has been very interesting to me, but it might be a “you had to be there” thing. I promise that N to the ZED will now return to important topics like boys and sheep.